Ruin
by Addy96
Summary: An surprise attack on Common Grounds results in Shane becoming a vampire. What will happen to him? What will happen to his relationship with Claire? What will happen between Claire and Myrnin...? Kinda Clyrnin, but warning it'll take time to get to that! please review and tell me how to improve! I do not own this wonderful series! T for naughty language :)
1. Chapter 1

**Reviews are much appreciated! Please tell me what you like, or what you hate or how I can improve! :)**

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New Message from Claire: _911 Common Grounds hurry. Crazy vamps._

Shane stares at the phone a moment in shock, but its just a second before he shoves the phone into his pocket and rushes down stairs. "Michael!" He yells as he begins to grab the usual supplies, stakes(silver ones to be exact), silver knives, etc...

"Whats wrong?" Michael asks, gently placing the guitar he had been playing on the couch. He stands up looking tense and for a moment, his sky blue eyes flash red.

"There's something wrong at Common Grounds." Shane replies grimly fishing the phone out of his pocket to show Michael the text.

"That's all she sent?" Michael asks as he throws on his black floppy hat and coat not wasting any time.

"Yeah, I've got no freaking clue what's going on but it must be bad."

"That makes sense what with the whole 911 and everything." Michael says sarcastically.

"We don't have time for that Michael!" Shane says scowling as he yanks the door open. "How can you even be joking about this?" Michael drops the smirk.

"I know man, sorry, lets go save the day for the millionth time." He says rushing at vamp speed to his car.

"It's a million and two times I think." Shane says hopping in the passenger side immediately becoming encased in almost total darkness by the standard dark vampire tinting. Michael gives him a small smile that doesn't come close to meeting his eyes. They may be joking around, but they both know how serious this might be. Nothing was ever simple or easy in Morganville. Shane supposed that the jokes were just their way of distracting themselves and each other from thinking of the horrible things that could and probably were happening.

Michael doesn't bother with the speed limit, going close to a hundred the majority of the way and Shane just hoped that the fact that he was a vampire mean the cops wouldn't pull them over, they didn't have the time to go to jail, again. If anything happened to Claire or Eve...no he couldn't think about it. He had lost Claire once and it had driven him over the edge, sitting holding a gun ready to join her. He didn't think he'd get another lucky break if she-if she died again. He knew he wouldn't be able to handle it and he'd wind up sitting there again, ready to end his life. And he'd succeed. Claire was his world, his reason for getting up in the morning and dealing with this hell hole of a town every single freaking day. She made him who he was, without her, they were two halves of a whole, separate and incomplete. He couldn't live that way.

Michael screeches the car to a stop in front of Common Grounds, he leaves it running, a good tactic in case they had to bolt out of there while some crazy ass vampire chased them, which was highly likely. Shane scoops up the bag and tosses Michael a knife, he catches it with ease and flips it around so its a blur. Michael gives him a long look and Shane nods. They get out and stand in front of Common Grounds. Shane notices something very odd about the place, its completely dark, and huge metal shutter are drawn over the windows inside. The front door was smashed in too. Something was obviously wrong, this place was usually crawling with caffeine addicts alive and dead.

"You grab the girls and get them out and into the car. I'll distract the vamps while you get them out. Don't come back in." Michael says looking Shane straight in the eyes. Shane snorts.

"Okay boss man and while I'm at it I'll run and get you a coffee. Hell no! I agree with the whole get the girls out thing, but I am definitely coming back. We don't know how many vamps are in there Mike, or if you can take them all. You will probably require my mad ninja skills."

"I'm serious Shane!" Michael says running his pale fingers through his blond hair in frustration. "Do you actually think that _Claire_and _Eve_ will sit nice and quiet in the car? You have to keep them there, no matter what happens. And you have no ninja skills at all, you would get poned," He says will a small smile. "Don't do anything crazy Shane. Who would make chili if you died?"

"Back at you Bro," Shane says giving him a fist bump. "Now lets do this. I'm guessing we have to use the front door." He says gesturing to the mess of shattered glass on the ground.

"Looks like it." Michael says taking an unnecessary deep breath. Shane reaches for the door knob, as he pulls on it, the little bell above the door gives a cheerful little ding. A low delighted chuckles emanates from the shops murky depths. Whoever it was now knew they were coming. Shane and Michael look at each other, knowing they have lost the element of surprise, a vampire could have easily hear that. They step inside to meet their fate.


	2. Chapter 2

Inside it was deathly quiet, still and pitch black, Shane couldn't make out anything only a seemingly endless black void, but he hopes Michael could see something. Although the absence of light and sound had its advantages, all Shane could hear was the soft sound of himself breathing, which made it easy to hear the squeak of a chair being slid across the floor to his left.

Shane whirls around; knife in hand and Michael is at his back. Shane hears the soft grunt as something lunges at him out of the dark and he swiftly plunges his knife forward, praying he would meet his target; he must because he can feel his knife going into something soft along with the howl of pain the creature gives followed by a vicious snarl. Shane grins in the darkness, _Bring it on leech_. He thinks as the adrenaline begins pumping and he enters fight mode. He gives the knife a sharp twist before yanking it out.

"Shane, to your right!" Michael shouts. Shane whips around and feels a fist connect with his face with a sharp crack, he barely feels it, the pain only fuels his rage, making him fight even harder and faster. He punches into the dark and is rewarded with a sharp pain in his knuckles as they connect with hard bone. The thing gives an animalistic howl and lashes out with its nails, leaving four deep scratches on Shane's face. Shane barely feels the stinging pain or the blood that steadily drips down his face. Suddenly, it gives another cry of pain mixed with fear a second before falling silent.

"Did you get it Mike?" Shane asks.

"Yep," Michael says from far away panting. "There's at least two more, but I've got them go find the girls."

"Hell no—"Shane begins.

"Shane!" Michael snarls. "We don't have time to argue! I've got this, go and get them out of here! I'll watch your back!" Shane sighs in frustration but complies. Walking slowly, he puts his arms out and attempts to maneuver his way through the maze of invisible chairs and tables still managing to bump into at least five of them and almost tripping and falling twice.

"Duck!" Michael shouts suddenly right beside him, Shane flattens himself to the floor and feels a rush of air as something leaps over him and connects with Michael who grunts in pain. Shane gets up, hesitating, wanting to stay and fight but something shoves him and he stumbles into a chair making it fall with a clatter that completely shatters the silence. "Go Shane!" Michael roars and he feels another shove, it must be Michael, he thinks but he has to resist the urge to lash out at him with his knife.

He continues on, thinking of where everyone could possibly be. There were only two or three other rooms there besides the space behind the counter and the big open area where everyone sat. Oliver's office, a break room, bathroom, and…the huge walk in fridge. That seemed the only place big enough to hold twenty plus people. So all he to do was find the counter, okay should be easy. He walks around blindly for another minute before bumping into the counter.

He puts his hands on the smooth surface and walks like that letting it lead him. It comes to an end after a few feet and he walks forward, hands straight out before they connect with the smooth, cool, metal surface of the fridge door. He feels for the handle and tugs, but its locked.

"Claire?" He says softly, knocking quietly. "Claire? Eve? It's Shane, open up." He hears a short whispered argument behind the door and then the sound of a heavy bar being slid across the door before it slowly opens a crack to reveal Eve's pale, terrified face.

"Shane? Oh thank God! Where's Michael?"

"He's fighting off the vamps, come on, I'm here to get you guys out of here. Let me in." The door opens wide enough for him to squeeze through, if he sucked in his stomach. Just as he's about to step through, a cold hand covers his mouth while another wraps around his waist and yanks him against a cold, hard body. He immediately enters fight mod, kicking, hitting, scratching, he even bites his attacker's hand, but it's no use. The restricting arm squeezes painfully tight, making it almost impossible to breathe.

"Now, now, we'll have none of that." A deep voice thick with a southern accent chuckles, breathing putrid breath in his face.

_Shit._


	3. Chapter 3

**Please, pretty, pretty please will a cherry whipped cream and sprinkles on top review! I really would like to know what people think about my story and how I could improve. I'd like to get a few before I post the next chapter and a ton of craziness happens in it. So please review :)**

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"Sup, CB?" Eve asks as she slides the piping hot Mocha across the counter to her.

"The usual, tons of homework vampire boss being completely crazy." Claire says with a sigh. Eve raises one dark eyebrow.

"Crazier than usual?" She asks taking off her apron. "Oliver I'm taking a break be back in ten!" She calls to _her _crazy vampire boss who is dressed in his usual hippie disguise; faded jeans, tie-dye shirt, long graying hair pulled back in a ponytail, a small hoop in one ear, and pleasant smile. He acknowledges her with a nod, making Eve roll her eyes.

They sit down at small table and Claire takes in her friends outfit, she was wearing her usual ultra- Goth; red and black layered tutu, black T-shirt with a rhine-stoned skull on it wearing a bow over a long sleeved red lace shirt, black tights with silver skulls, Doc-Martins, and her black hair was in two braids topped with red bows and a grinning skull in the middle of each, along with ghost pale makeup and blood red lipstick.

"He thinks Bob ran away because he didn't give him an extra cricket last night, so he's using a hair he claims came from Bob to try and track him with this crazy machine he's building." Claire says as she sips her deliciously perfect drink. Eve's eyes widen a bit.

"That _is _completely crazy," Eve agrees. "How'd he get a hair from him? Does he like _brush _it?" She asks with a shudder.

"I wouldn't be surprised if he did," Claire says with a sigh. "He made me put up missing spider posters with a picture of Bob on them."

"Seriously?"

"Unfortunately. How's work for you?" Eve shrugs.

"Nothing new, Oliver's just as much a creepy jerk as usual."

"What time do you get off at? I'm making tacos and then the guys wanted to have a movie night."

"Seven," Eve says and then groans. "Is Shane picking them out? I don't think I could handle watching four hours of people getting blown up eaten by zombies."

"I'll make him promise to only have one movie involve explosions and or zombies." Claire assures with a grin.

"Thank God—uh-oh looks like trouble decided to pay a visit." Eve says looking towards the door where a group of about ten vampires had come in wearing tattered coats and hats. Most of them looked a bit cooked and where smoking, and all of them scanned the crowd with hungry eyes.

"Great." Claire says grabbing her beat up backpack and taking out two silver coated knives, she hands one to Eve under the table and looks at Oliver who was approaching the group and frowning. The usually loud coffee shop had gone completely silent.

"They don't exactly look like they came here for coffee and company do they?" Eve asks. As the apparent leader, a guy dressed like a total cowboy from the hat to the plaid button up shirt to the boots, argues with Oliver.

"No," Claire says worriedly. "I don't think so. I'm going to call the police." She takes out her phone and dials 911, but it just rings and rings before she finally gives up and hangs up. This was _so _not good. Suddenly, Oliver rushes behind the counter and slams a button beneath it. Immediately, heavy steel shutter begin to come down.

The leader snarls and tackles Oliver, shoving him down onto the floor. The roll around fighting before the other guy punches him in the face, hard, knocking him out. He whips out silver chains and begins to wrap them around the unconscious Oliver. He gives some signal to the other vampires who grin as their fangs snap down and they come at the crowd.

"Shit," Eve says softly. "Everyone, follow me, hurry!" She says and takes off for the huge walk in fridge behind the counter. People just stare at her wide eyed and confused a moment, before scrambling after her. The vampires attack.

Eve stands at the fridge, ushering people in and fighting off any vamp the tried to get in. Claire jumps up as she sees a huge vamp grab a girl around her age and sink his fangs into her neck. He's so distracted that she just plunges the silver stake right into his heart from behind. He drops the girl and turns around snarling, struggling to grasp the stake embedded into his back before his eyes go wide and he collapses the floor.

"Are you okay?" Claire asks as she helps the girl off the floor. The girl nods shakily, standing there stunned. "Go!" Claire says giving her a little push towards the fridge. Most of the people were in the fridge now, but a few were hiding behind tables or even trying to fight of the vamps.

Claire sees another vamp, a small brunette girl this time attacking a boy maybe a few years older than her. Claire slashes at its arm with her knife and the vampire snarls as her arms begins to blacken and burn. She turns towards Claire, throwing the boy on the floor. _Great_. Claire thinks helplessly, looking around for a way out of this, her stake was still in the other vamp and there was no way she was taking it out. So Claire improvises. She shoves the long knife right where she would put a stake. The vampire's eyes widen in shock and she collapses.

This guy was clearly not going to just get up and walk away, so Claire drags him to the fridge where Eve stands waiting. There were only a few people left and…Oliver. They couldn't just leave them out there.

"Come on!" Eve says tugging on her arm. "We need some serious back up Claire!" Claire shakes her head.

"I've got to get them Eve! I can't just leave them to die!"

"Claire, if _you _go back out there, you'll die! Come on, we have to get Shane and Michael, they can help us."

"I will, but I've got to get Oliver."

"_Oliver_?" Eve asks incredulously. "Do you honestly think he'd help if that were us? He's not worth it Claire!"

"Do you think if he survives he'll forgive us Eve? Don't you want him on our side? Do you think Amelie will be forgiving if he dies because we left him?" Eve hesitates her grip on Claire's arm loosens and Claire pulls away.

"Claire, wait!" Eve says. Claire ignores her and goes behind the counter, crawling on her hands and knees, trying her best to be invisible. Oliver had fallen just outside the counter and she could see him struggling against the chains. Then apparently, someone gets the bright idea to shoot out all the lights, because suddenly there's a bang followed by one of the lights exploding. Then, someone must have fought for the gun because the glass in the door shatters. The shooter gets control of the gun back and continues shooting out the lights, one by one. Claire crawls faster, desperate to reach Oliver before the whole room was encased in total darkness.

Just before she reaches him, the vamp that had attacked him kneels before the now awake Oliver, grinning; he pulls out a syringe full of what appears to be _silver_. He plunges it into Oliver's neck making Oliver's body buck and convulse in pain. Then, the last light is shot out, and there is nothing but complete silence and darkness.


	4. Chapter 4

**Thank you to those who have reviewed, and to those who haven't, please do! I would love to hear all of your opinions and suggestions! Thanks! : :D B)**

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For a second, Claire freezes as panic begins to overtake her. _Oh God, it's_ _so __**dark**__ and I can't see and I'm just sitting here where anything can get me and Oh my God I'm going to die and Shane will freak and…_ She mentally shakes herself stopping her thoughts mid-rant. That was no way to think, she always found a way out and she would now. Slowly, she crawls forward towards Oliver.

"Oliver?" She whispers when she thinks she must be pretty close to him. She hears a soft groan a few feet in front of her, so she continues crawling until her knees bump into a cold object laying in front of her, Oliver. "Can you walk if I help you?"

"No," He says voice no more than a whisper of wind. "Need blood, silver." Claire can't repress the shudder that goes through her.

"Okay, well I guess we'll get you some. But _not _mine okay? I'm going to pull you out of here, so don't go and attack me." He says nothing. Claire finds his shoulders and pulls, scooting backwards, Oliver lets out a hiss of pain. Claire ignores it and continues backwards, heart racing, knowing that every vampire there could hear it and could decide to attack her at any moment.

Finally,_ finally_ she reaches the safety of the fridge and knocks quietly. "Eve!" She whispers. "Eve let me in!" She hears a bar being slid across the door which quickly opens. Claire doesn't bother standing up, she just scoots backwards still clutching Oliver. Eve slams the door shut the second Oliver's feet are in.

Claire stands up and drags Oliver over to the wall where she props him sitting up. Oh God, he looked _awful_, no, worse than awful, he looked like he should be _dead_. There was a silver chain circling his neck, which had two strips leading to both of his wrists that were also chained, from the wrists were to more strands of chains encircling his ankles, the cuffs had been rolled up so the silver would touch his skin, everywhere it touched, the skin was blackened and burned. But that wasn't the worst of it, the injection had spread silver directly through his veins causing black, burned lines all over his body, burning him on the inside. They were even in his _eyes_. They looked completely black, like he was blind and his lips were _blue_.

"Blood," He croaks. "Hurry," Claire looks around the huge fridge and sees it's packed with all sorts of supplies; blankets, medicine, food, and…blood. Trying not look too closely at them, she tosses several packets at him and sees his fangs snap out. He guzzles them all down in a matter of seconds, with disgusting sucking; slurping sounds that turn Claire's stomach. "More," He demands, and at least twenty packets of blood later, the black lines have started to recede on his skin and his eyes begin to look normal. "Help me with these chains." He says looking directly at Claire.

"You're not going to eat me are you?" Claire asks warily. Oliver rolls his eyes.

"No, you stupid girl, just release me!" Claire cautiously comes over and begins to look for a lock, but after several minutes through which Oliver becomes increasingly agitated and impatient, she finds none. It looks like there's finger imprints at places on some of the links, so apparently, the vampire had just squeezed the chains together. She tells Oliver this and he snarls in frustration, eyes glowing ruby red. The chains were so short, he had to sit hunched over with his knees drawn up.

"Can't you just snap them off?" Claire asks taking a giant step back, not trusting him at all.

"The silver keeps me too weak to do that! One of you must call for help."

"Fine, I'll text Shane." Claire says pulling out her cell.

"I believe the authorities are better equipped for this situation than your idiotic _human _boyfriend." Oliver sneers.

"Yeah I know!" Claire says glaring at him. "Called the cops and they're not answering! So you get what you get!" Oliver frowns.

"They must have attacked there first." Oliver says almost to himself.

"Yeah, about that," Eve says crossing her arms and frowning down at him. "What the hell was that all about?"

"They're supposed leader said it was some nonsense about not liking being told what to do anymore and that they were taking over. As if that bunch of morons could take control of a group of children."

"So you know them?" Claire asks.

"The low-lives of Morganville, completely useless." Oliver says voice laced with contempt.

"Obviously they can take you." Eve says with a grin. Oliver snarls at her flashing fang.

"Yeah, well I'm going to text Shane then." Claire says turning away to text: _911 Common Grounds hurry. Crazy vamps._ Now all they could do was hope and pray.

About fifteen minutes later, they can hear fighting outside, but it's impossible to tell whose winning. Claire and Eve go around checking on all of the refugees giving them blankets and water. They patch up the few who were attacked as best as they can, but one of them, the boy Claire saved doesn't look good at all. His skin is ashen, lips white, and he's breathing shallowly. He needed help, quickly.

Suddenly, there's a knock on the door, making them all jump. Then Claire hears Shane's voice say her name softly, "Claire? Claire? Eve? It's Shane open up." Claire jumps up and rushes towards the door, but Eve stops her, stepping into her path.

"Wait Claire, it could be a trap. How do we know it's really Shane?" Eve asks grimly.

"Yeah and it could also be Shane trapped out there with a bunch of psychotic vampires!" Claire says angrily. "It's not like I'm just going to throw the door wide open! I'll be careful!"

"Yeah with what weapon?" Eve asks frowning. Claire realizes that she had forgotten her backpack out at the table, great. "That's what I thought. I've got a knife, I'll open it. But if some crazy ass vamp comes at me, I'm blaming you." Eve takes her knife out of the waist band of her tutu and heads slowly towards the door. She slowly pulls the heavy metal bar across, unlocking the door. Then she opens it a tiny crack sticking her face out.

"Shane? Oh thank God! Where's Michael?" Eve says in relief.

"He's fighting off the vamps, come on, I'm here to get you guys out of here. Let me in." Claire hears Shane reply. Eve opens the door a little wider, barely wide enough for him to squeeze through.

Suddenly, Claire can hear the sounds of fighting and of Shane grunting in pain. Eve jerks back in surprise stepping away from the door. "Now, now, we'll have none of that," A deep voice thick with a southern accent chuckles. "Now, young lady you open that door now or I'll snap your friend's neck," He says pleasantly. Eve hesitates, gone even paler than her makeup and Claire freezes. _No, not Shane. Please God not Shane_. "Quickly now, I'm not a patient man."

"Eve, don't do it you stupid girl!" Oliver shouts, still confined to his chains. Eve doesn't listen; she pushes the door all the way open to reveal the cowboy vamp that had attacked Oliver, the apparent leader, with one hand over Shane's mouth and the other around his waist. Shane's face is bright red from lack of air. There's also a livid bruise forming beneath his right eye and there's four ragged, bleeding scratches that look like they came from fingernails on his right cheek.

"Thank you," The vamp says with a nod. "Now, go and fetch me some rope from those shelves. All of ya'll can go. I promise my friends will leave you alone," The twenty or so terrified people in the room look at him wide eyed and trembling before they scramble to their feet. A few assist the injured, and they scurry out the door. Eve and Claire don't move. The cowboy vamp's eyebrows rise. "Ya'll can leave too; I don't want anything from you," When they don't move, he shrugs. "Suit yourselves. You, Goth girl get me that rope!"

Eve goes over and grabs some thick, heavy-duty rope. "Good girl," He says like she's a dog who did a trick. "Now go and fetch me a chair from out there," Eve looks out into the darkness, wide-eyed and obviously scared. "I promise they won't hurt you, just get me a chair now like a good girl. Now do you have any weapons?" Reluctantly, Eve hands over her silver knife. Eve looks back at Claire who nods and gives her a weak smile. Eve gives a shaky one back and walks out, eaten by the dark.

"Now you must be little Miss. Claire Danvers!" He says turning to face Claire with a manic grin. "I've been wanting to meet you for a while. This your boy here?" Claire says nothing, refusing to answer; it'd only make things worse. He drops the grin, leaving his face blank and cold. "Fine then, if you want to be like that…" He says and puts his hands on Shane's head, a swift twist away from snapping his neck.

"Wait!" Claire says desperately. "Please, don't hurt him! What do you want?"

"What do I want?" The vampire asks raising one brown and chuckling. "Why what any man wants Ms. Danvers. Freedom. Plain and simple, being able to do what I want, go where I want, whenever I want. I just want to leave this God forsaken town. But your friend the founder isn't so keen on that idea. So you can blame her for this little statement of ours."

"What do you expect me to do? I can't tell her what to do!"

"Yes Henry, what exactly do you propose the girl do?" Oliver says coldly, finally speaking. "She has no sway over the Founder's choices and I have very little. What do you hope to accomplish with all of these theatrics? She'll just think you're having a temper tantrum like a child, scold you and send you to bed without supper." The vamp, Henry apparently, scowls.

"It ain't like that Oliver! We mean business and she's gunna know it!" Eve cautiously walks in holding a chair. "Put it back there girl," He says gesturing to the far back corner. Eve carefully places it and then walks back to Claire's side grabbing her hand and giving it a reassuring squeeze. Henry proceeds to shove Shane roughly over to the chair and tie his wrists and ankles to the chair. "Comfy?" He asks with a leer. Shane glares in reply.

"What are you going to do with Shane?" Claire asks trying to keep her voice level and calm.

"Oh I've just got a few questions for him is all," He turns back to Shane who is struggling futilely against his restraints. "You're Frank Collins son aren't you boy?" He asks grinning, showing a hint of fang.

**_Shane_**

"You're Frank Collins son aren't you boy?" The creep vampire asks with a leer. I almost let out a snarky, comment, and then for once, think better of it. This guy _did _mean business, and he wouldn't be opposed to ripping my head off and then the girl's if I pissed him off.

"Yeah, Frank was my dad. Why?" I ask, trying not to sound like a smart-ass teenager, although that was usually my goal.

"I was hoping you'd say that," He says grin widening. "Your dad killed my girl, my Lilly, boy and I intend to make you pay for it. The fact that you're the boy of the Founder's little pet is just a bonus." I swallow hard. Leave it to good old dad to leave me to pick up his mess.

"Look man, I'm sorry my dad is a douche, but it wasn't me. I'm not like that, hell, my best friend's a vamp, and his fiancé is like my sister." He frowns, clearly not expecting this.

"Well then I'm sorry kid, this ain't personal," He pauses and grins. "Well maybe a little. But my Lilly was a sweet girl, never harmed a fly."

"And she was a vampire?" Shane can't help not believing that a freaking _vampire _had never hurt anybody.

"Well I never said she was perfect. Sure she slipped up once or twice, but she always beat herself up over it after. You know what she was doin the night she was killed? She was heading to the store to buy some stuff for dinner that night with our neighbors. Our _human _neighbors. Everybody liked Lilly, humans and vamps. They found next to her headless and _staked_ body a bag filled with melting ice cream and a can of corn. She didn't even try to fight back and he _killed _her in cold blood! I was with her for _two hundred _years and now she's gone! And you're gunna pay for that boy! You're daddy ain't here so you've gotta take the heat and I'm sorry for that but someone _has _to pay!" He finishes eyes a blazing red, breathing hard.

Shane just stares at him a minute. He remembers seeing something about her murder in the paper, as far as he could remember they had never caught her killer. He thought he'd even met her twice and she was okay for a vamp. That sounded like his dad, stake and behead first, ask questions later.

"Look man, I'm really sorry about Lilly, that's awful. I remember her, she seemed really nice," Shane begins carefully. "But I would never do that! My dad is a cold hearted jerk and most of the time, I hate him too. He was never a great father, he—"Shane pauses taking a breath. "He hit me man, he hit anyone weaker than him. And I know no one deserves what Lilly went through, but that wasn't me! I would help you if I could, but I can't. Do you think is what Lilly would want you to do?" Henry pauses, seeming confused.

"It's not just about that!" He says eyes shining red again. "This will hurt your girl too! Amelie's little _pet_," He spits out the word. "They're always trying to control us, tell us what to do. We're just supposed to be trained animals in a zoo and I am done with that! This will make a point, this will help, it will." He says sounding unsure of himself.

"No it won't," Shane says cautiously. "You'll just make things worse for yourself. You'll get caught and Amelie won't let you get away with it," Whatever _it _was and he wasn't even sure about it. "At least my friends won't. They'll come after you if you do something to me." Henry seems to hesitate, but then he grins, full fang eyes ruby red.

"I don't care. I'm nothing without Lilly. I _hate _Frank Collins and this will hurt him bad. I _hate _your girl for trying to control me. Like I said it's not personal, you just got caught in the middle of a dangerous war." He says. Shane just has a second to think of _what _exactly would hurt his before Henry strikes like snake, sinking his fangs in his neck.

Distantly, he can hear Eve and Claire's screams.


	5. Chapter 5

**Sooo, by the number of views, it seems like people are reading but so far there are only five reviews from three total people. :( Please review! No matter if you like it or hate it, I want to know what you like or hate and what I can do to improve! So pleeeease review! :)**

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Henry bites down into Shane's neck and Claire can't help it, she along with Eve scream in horror and Claire, not thinking, runs forward and pounds her fists futilely against the vampires back. He was going to _drain_ Shane. He was going to _kill_ him and that couldn't happen. Oh God, she couldn't _live _without Shane! No, no, no, oh God no! Shane was struggling helplessly against the vampire, but he was tied up, and he was becoming weaker every second, the vampire didn't even acknowledge Claire, to him she was just an annoying little fly.

Shane's warm brown eyes lock with hers and he whispers, "Stop Claire. Claire stop, its okay. You'll get through this. It's not your fault. Don't you dare blame yourself. You're so strong Claire, so strong. Don't ever give up. You hear me? Don't ever give up. Get out of Morganville and live your dreams. Forget about me, take Eve and Michael and get out. I love you Claire, don't ever forget that." No, _no_, he _couldn't _be saying goodbye! Claire thinks eyes swimming with tears. How had this happened? _Why_?

"No Shane! No! I can't lose you! Don't leave me! Fight, Shane, fight! Shane I love you, you can't leave me!" She whispers back fiercely. Shane shakes his head sadly and he mouths, "_I love you_.", before he grows too weak, his eyes roll up into his head and he slumps forward passing out.

A hand was on her shoulder yanking her back. Claire whirls around lashing out at them. "Claire, _Claire_ stop. There's nothing we can do." It was Eve, and some distant part of her mind knew she was right, but the rest of her was screaming, _Not Shane, please God, anyone but Shane!_.

"Claire," Claire hears Oliver say quietly, speaking for the first time in ages. "Claire you know she's right. I am sorry girl, but Shane is gone." It sounded like he really meant it. _Oliver _was being sympathetic? Something really must be wrong, such as Hell freezing over.

The vampire, Henry, draws back wiping his mouth and grinning. Oh God, Shane was so _pale_; no one living could be that pale. Claire's legs turn to Jell-O and she collapses trembling against the wall. _At least it's over_. She thinks staring at Shane's lifeless body. But then Henry looks right at her, smiling widely and wickedly, and he _bites_ his wrist before shoving it into Shane's mouth.

"No!" She shouts, as Shane's body begins to convulse and he desperately tries to turn away from his attacker. His eyes fly open and lock with Claire's before rolling up inside his head again.

**_Shane_**

That crazy vamp bit me and damn, it hurt, hurt almost as bad as when that little creep Jason stabbed me. But what was a thousand times worse was the feeling of utter helplessness, there was _nothing_ I could do. Nothing at all but sit there and feel myself grow weaker and hate that vamp with every cell in my body.

It just became worse when I saw Claire come at him and hit him on the back. Oh God, she shouldn't have to watch this, _no one _should have to watch this. I remember being forced to watch my dad being drained and turned, the anger I felt, the weakness. At least she wouldn't have to see me turn vamp, this guy seemed intent to kill. I would get to see mom and Lyss again, but I would be leaving Michael and Eve. I would be leaving _Claire_.

I know that this will tear her apart, that she'll blame herself, but she shouldn't, she's saved me and everyone in this damned town more times than I can count. But that won't matter to her, so I whisper that it'll be alright, tell her not to blame herself, that she'll get through this, I tell her how strong she is and that she needs to get herself Mike and Eve out here and to follow her dreams. And most importantly, that I love her and that she should never forget that.

She tells me not to leave her and it just tears my heart into millions of pieces. Because, God I don't want to leave her. I don't want to leave my life, I wanted to marry her, leave this town and have a family and all because of one freaking vamp I could have none of that.

They say your life flashes before your eyes when you die but apparently, they really got screwed up because all I could remember was my regrets and the mistakes I'd made. Everything I'd done wrong, every person I'd hurt, I remembered it all. And then, I sort of drifted away, it was almost peaceful actually.

But then, I felt a hot, burning liquid being shoved into my mouth and I heard Claire screaming. I turn away; try to get away from the sharp, bitter taste infiltrating my mouth but I can't.

Then, it's as if my bones are coated with ice, each breath shoves sharp icicles into my lungs and body, it _hurts_ it's the worst pain I've ever felt in my life, I'm frozen to the core and I can't escape it. Vaguely, I realize I'm screaming. Then, my body slowly begins to warm up and I relax. But then it gets to hot, painfully hot and suddenly, it's like I'm roasting from the inside out, like every cell, every molecule in my body is incinerated and put back together. I can't stand it. I need to get away from the pain it's too much.

Just when I think that the pain will kill me, the cold and ice settles back in, but this time, I welcome it, it soothes my burning body. I feel different, stronger, better, more attuned to my surroundings. I can hear a steady drum beat from far off.

My eyes snap open and I see things with heightened clarity, everything is sharp, bright, painfully so. The drum beat sounds it's steady rhythm, _da-dum,da-dum,da-dum_. I smell something deliciously sweet and I can feel two, sharp needle like teeth indenting my lower lip.

I see two figures huddled together, wide eyed in a corner. Vaguely, I know I should recognize them but I don't. It's from them the drum beat comes, faster now. _Da-da-da-dum,da-da-da-dum_. I snarl at them. _Prey._ I think. _Food. Hungry. _I struggle against my bonds as a dry burning begins in my throat. _Thirsty._


	6. Chapter 6

**Please review. :) Plain and simple.**

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**_Claire_**

Shane snarls at Eve and Claire, huddled together in a corner, eyes a blazing, livid red, teeth as sharp as knives as thin as needles indent his lower lip. There is no recognition, no love in that gaze. To him they were food.

"Shane," Claire whispers. "Oh God, Shane." That's all she can think, her brain can't seem to process that that _thing_ snarling hungrily at them was the man she loved.

"Well," Oliver says looking slightly paler than normal. "Things just got _very _interesting."

"_Why_?" Eve demands glaring fiercely at Henry. "Why you sick bastard?"

"Because," Henry replies licking some of Shane's blood off his mouth with a grin. "It was fun. I like a good helping of revenge."

"What do you propose to do now Henry?" Oliver asks quietly something unidentifiable in his eyes. Henry seems dumfounded a moment, as if he hadn't planned any further than this. Then, his cold gaze falls on Claire and he grins wildly.

"I'll just have to give Shane here a little snack," He starts forward and Claire jumps up, running for the door, but of course, Henry is there before she's taken three steps. "Now, now," He chides grabbing her arms and twisting them painfully behind her back. Claire grits her teeth, refusing to give him the pleasure of her crying out.

"There's no need for this Henry," Oliver says face expressionless. "There's plenty of blood left for the boy. Just let the girls go." Claire and Eve both stare at Oliver utterly surprised, Claire would have thought he'd be glad to be rid of them for good. Claire sees that this true, it appears that Oliver had been preparing for an apocalypse, with enough food and blood to last dozens of humans and vampires for months.

"True," Henry agrees with a shrug. "This wasn't even my plan really. All me and my people wanted was a way out. We took care of the cops, killed most, held some hostage. We thought bout turnin 'em all. Would have been a great joke, all the cops vamps." He says smiling at the memory, making Claire's stomach churn. "To pay our dear Founder a visit, but she'd hightailed it the second we stepped in the door. Left us a dozen or so of her body guards as a diversion. Had to save a few of them for a rainy day too," Henry, Claire realized, was definitely not the brightest crayon in the box. He was quite stupidly, assuming that they would all die so he thought it was okay to lay out his entire "diabolical" plan.

"Then, we rushed over here before she could Alert ol' Ollie here," Oliver gives him a sneer of contempt. "We knew that if we get the Founder's second and a whole bunch of humans along with them, threatening to kill them all, she'd let us go real quick," Claire highly doubted that, Amelie would most likely cut her loses and start signing condolence letters for their families.

"But then you four show up and I think, well this might just be even better! Get a whole lot of sweet revenge in the process. Got your boy Michael staked out there," Eve gasps, raising a trembling hand to her mouth as her eyes well with tears. "But enough chit-chat, I'm sure our boy Shane here is positively _starving_."

"No!" Eve shrieks as Henry begins to shove Claire toward the struggling, snarling Shane. "Let her go! Claire! Shane you idiot, it's _Claire_!"

"Eve," Oliver says quietly. "Don't be stupid girl, there's nothing you can do." Claire tries to break Henry's hold, but it's like trying to break through steel with her bare hands, impossible. Claire manages to twist her head around to look at Eve who was approaching them, tears streaming down her face, shaking with fear and anger.

"Stop Eve, I'll be okay. Shane won't kill me." She says giving a weak smile as she is shoved into Shane's lap.

But, as she looks up at snarling face, with the ruby red eyes and lethally sharp teeth, she isn't sure. No, she's not sure at all. That was not _her _Shane. She could only hope that he would remember before it was too late.

Shane can't reach her neck, so, Henry unties his hands and Shane grabs her in a bone crushing grip, his eyes as cold as ice on her skin. He bites down, and it _hurts_ it hurts so bad, two knives piercing her skin, tearing at her as he gulps greedily. She can feel herself growing weaker each second.

"Shane please wakeup. Shane, remember please. I love you." Claire whispers, just before the darkness overcomes her and she faints.

**_Shane_**

The two girls stayed huddled in the corner, and the smaller one kept saying a name, _Shane_, I knew I should recognize it, that it _meant _something, but all I could concentrate on was the increasing ache in his throat, the burning.

They just kept _talking _and I _needed _to get to them. I thought I would get the smaller brunette one first, she'd be easier. The drumming continued, a double beat in harmony. Da-dum, da-da-da-dum, da-dum, It was driving me _crazy_. I needed to get to them, needed to stop that incessant, never ending beat. All I can do is sit there, struggling against the ropes that bind me, snarling.

Finally, _finally_, after almost an eternity, a man I don't know grabs the brunette girl as she tries to escape. He throws her into my lap, and I can hear the drum beat, increasingly fast pounding impossibly loud in my head, **DA-DUM, DA-DA-DUM, DA-DUM**, that, along with the intoxicatingly sweet smell coming from her, was making me insane, I struggle, unable to reach what I desperately need, and then, my arms are free and I crush the girl to me.

My fangs sink into her neck and mouth is filled with a the hot, salty, sweet, delicious liquid. It's _life_. I wanted it all.

"Shane please wakeup. Shane, remember please. I love you." The girls suddenly whispers before slipping into unconsciousness and I let go of her with a jolt of surprise and horror. Because I _remember_. Oh God, _Claire_.

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**And also, I have no clue why I switched point of view with Shane it kind of um just happened. Sorry if that bothers people. I kind of forget what point of view I'm writing in and it might switch sometimes. So sorry in advance. And oh yeah, how about some reviews please and thank you. :)**


	7. Chapter 7

**Please review. Or...no more story for you! I'll keep it to myself! :) You've been warned! So please, please, please review! Thank you to those who have.**

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**_Shane_**

All I can do is stare down at Claire who seems to be barely breathing, the drum is almost silent, da- da-dum. She's so _pale_, so _dead _looking. _I did this._ I think grimly, still in shock. There's two ragged holes in the side of her neck still weakly dripping blood. Suddenly, I hear a deep, satisfied sounding chuckle. I whirl towards it, snarling. It was _him_, Henry, this was _his _fault. I almost jump up to go after him, but then remember that I'm still holding Claire.

"Revenge is sweet, isn't it Collins?" Henry asks grinning madly. Then, he's gone in a flash. I jump up, surprised at how fast and fluid I move.

"Eve," I say quietly looking to where she is still huddled in the corner; tear streaks running through her ghost makeup. "Eve go and find Michael. I'm taking Claire to the hospital."

"It's too late boy," I hear someone say quietly and I turn to see Oliver, still chained, I had completely forgotten him. "Either let me turn her now or lose her forever."

"Shut the hell up!" I growl at him, and I know my eyes flash red.

"Fine, but then you may blame yourself for her death." He says face blank, eyes hard. _I already do._ I think with anguish looking back down at her. I start to walk out of the freezer.

"Wait Shane! Wait!" Eve says scrambling after me, seeming to have come out of her shock. "You're—you're a vamp now Shane! You'll _die _in the sun. You won't last a minute and Claire will die too."

"Then hurry the hell up and get me one of these asshole's coat." I say glaring down at her. I want to say _Claire doesn't have time. Just let me die and be with her. _But I know I can't. She runs off and returns in thirty seconds holding a long, black, leather, trench coat and a floppy black hat. She stands there helplessly a second, not seeming to know what to do.

"Shane," She says quietly, avoiding my eyes. "You have to put her down." _No, no I can't ever let go of her again_. And for a second, I don't. But then I comply, gently setting her on a table. I shove my arms through the coat sleeves and jam the hat on my head before carefully scooping her up again.

Then, I rush out into the day, vamp speed. It was amazing how fast I could go. And God the sun hurt. I could feel my skin bubbling and burning even with the stupid hat and coat. I can _smell _myself cooking.

I open the back door of the car and gingerly place Claire on the seat, buckling her in. Then, I hop in the passenger seat and, thanks to Michale's planning, I drive right off. And I can _see _through the windshield, clear as crystal.

When I get to the emergency room, they don't ask me to wait, they take one look at Claire and she whisked away. They don't say one word to me, there's no "She'll be okay," because we all know that that's never guaranteed in Morganville. So I sit there, numb, wondering how this had all happened so fast. How my life was _over_, at least as a human.

**_Claire_**

Claire opens her eyes to see a glaring, fluorescent light. She hears whispered voices and tries to turn her head towards them, but it hurts too much. She feels so weak and tries to remember what happened. Then it hits her, Shane was a _vampire_ and that psycho had _turned _him and made him _bite _her.

She must make some sound because suddenly, there's a ton of people hovering over her. Michael, Eve, and Myrnin, but no Shane.

"Oh God _Claire_!" Eve squeals grabbing her hand, her makeup smeared all over her face. "We thought you were dead!"

"Where's Shane?" Claire croaks out and winces, her voice sounded awful like she'd swallowed glass.

"He-well he didn't think you'd want to see him." Eve says hesitantly.

"Of course I want to see him!" Claire says frowning. "Help me up Eve; I'm tired of laying down with everyone in my face."

"I do not think that is wise," Myrnin says quietly. "You were on death's door and he could still very well pay you a visit before the night is through. You are much too weak. Amelie was determined to turn you, but I managed to reason with her."

"Thank you," Claire says sincerely. "I don't think I could have dealt with that on top of Shane. Where is he?"

"Here," Claire hears him say softly from the doorway, a shadow falling over him so she can't see him clearly. "You sure you want to see me?"

"God, of course I do Shane!" Claire says desperate to see him. Eve grabs Michael's hand and tugs him out of the room. After another second, Myrnin gives her an indecipherable look before leaving too.

"How can you want to see me Claire? How can you want to see me after what I did?" He says voice hoarse, not leaving the doorway.

"Because I know that wasn't you Shane! You couldn't help it, please don't do this." She pleads.

"But it was me," Shane whispers, refusing to meet her eyes. "I _am _that now Claire, forever and I'm never going to be me again."

"Shane come _here_," She demands fiercely with such authority he comes forward slowly, looking surprised. "Sit," He does, as far from her as he can be, still avoiding her eyes. "Help me up." He hesitates and she gives him her fiercest glare which she knows isn't very intimidating. Gently, he puts his arms around her and sits her up against the pillows, holding her up. And good thing he did, she felt so light headed and floaty, like a breeze could knock her over.

She looks at him and mostly, he seems like the same Shane. His skin is vampire pale of course, and his eyes have a strange gleam in them. But he's still _her _Shane. She just needs to make him see it.

"How do you feel?" She asks quietly.

"_Me_?" Shane asks in disbelief. "You want to know how _I _feel?" He gives a laugh, and not a nice one, one that's bitter and full of contempt. "Claire I almost killed you!"

"But you didn't," Claire says steadily. "And you weren't yourself. I'm going to be fine."

"How can you forgive me Claire? How?"

"Because I love you," She replies simply giving him a smile. "Now, really Shane how do you feel?"

"Pretty weird," He says taking a deep breath. "Everything is crazy in focus. I feel super strong, fast. Powerful."

"So is that…good?" Shane gives a shaky laugh.

"I don't know if good is how I would describe it Claire, I hate it." Claire really didn't know how to respond to that, and it seemed, neither did Shane. They just sit there quietly a minute, thinking about the future, which didn't seem so far off now that Shane's would last forever.

"Shane can you just lie down with me? Please, I don't want to spend the night in the hospital alone." Shane turns to look at her, surprise clear in his dark eyes.

"You sure you're not afraid I'm going to eat you or something?" It almost sounds like the old Shane, but not quite, it a genuine question, he thinks that she's afraid of him, that she hates him, and it breaks Claire's heart.

"No Shane," Claire says quietly. "I trust you." Shane stares down at her for a long moment, and she stares right back, refusing to look away. Silently, Shane gets up and switches off the lights before climbing into the narrow hospital bed next to Claire, still as far away from her as possible. So she scoots over, snuggling next to him, resting her head on his chest. Shane stiffens, but after a minute, he places a gentle hand on her back. Claire falls asleep to the sound of him breathing, even though she can no longer hear the steady rhythm of his heart.


	8. Chapter 8

**Thank you for the reviews! :) I appreciate them! Please continue to review so I know people are actually reading this! :)**

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Claire was released the next with strict orders to, "take it easy", as if that was possible in Morganville. Everything seemed, pretty normal, but there was an underlying layer of obvious tension that they all did their best to ignore. The truth was things _weren't _the same and they all knew it, no one wanted to confront it though. On the second day, Claire couldn't take it anymore. She throws off the blanket and hops off the couch while everyone else is in the kitchen making breakfast.

As she comes down stairs, freshly showered and dressed, slinging her backpack over her shoulder and heading towards the door, she is intercepted by Shane, making her jump in surprise. She had forgotten how _fast _he had become.

"Where are you going?" Shane asks, arms crossed and frowning. "You're supposed to be resting."

"Work," Claire replies. "I'm tired of resting."

"Claire…" Shane begins and she knows he's about to initiate a conversation she _so _doesn't want to have right now, or actually ever.

"Shane, just stop," Claire says cutting him off. "I know we need to talk but I don't want to do this right now, I _can't _do this right now." For a second, Shane looks completely crestfallen, and it breaks her heart, he quickly covers it up with a hard, blank, mask.

"Fine," He says in almost a monotone. "Be safe." And without another word, he turns away.

"Shane, wait." She says desperate to fix this, to make it alright. But he keeps walking. Claire can feel the tears welling in her eyes and she quickly wipes them away. Why did her life have to be so complicated?

She walks quickly to the alley by the Day house under the blazing hot Texas sun, trying hard to block out her problems with blaring music from her I-pod. Gramma Day is sitting in her rocking chair on the porch and Claire waves before heading down the dark alley that narrows as she goes till she reaches the rotten, decrepit wooden shack that leads to Myrnin's lair.

She unlocks the door and heads down the steps to see Myrnin feverishly working on something a table. He's wearing a typical Myrnin outfit; a bright red vest over a Hawaiian shirt, threadbare jeans and of course, his vampire bunny slippers.

"Claire," Myrnin says looking up sounding surprised. "I didn't expect you for days. You do know that you are excused from work considering your…ah, accident."

"I was bored, and Eve was driving me nuts hovering over me all the time asking if I needed anything." Claire says plopping her backpack by the stairs in an easy to reach position in case of an emergency.

"But Claire, are sure that you are well?" Myrnin persists. Claire frowns at him; it was unusual for him to remain focused on one thing for so long, especially when it came to someone else.

"Yeah Myrnin, I'm fine. What are you working on?" She asks, trying to get off the uncomfortable topic of her. Myrnin's face immediately lights up.

"Oh yes! It's quite fascinating, let me show you." He says bounding over to the cluttered table as Claire trails behind. Just as he's beginning to explain some complicated completely crazy theory on the relationship between a carrot and a centipede, Frank's two dimensional, black and white, tough biker picture appears, making Claire jumps surprise.

"What's happened to Shane?" Claire hears Frank's staticy voice say as it comes through her cells speaker.

"Frank," Myrnin says coldly. "Now is not the time for this, get out."

"Well I say now _is _the time for this _leech_," Frank says with a sneer. "And I want to know what's happened to my boy, _now_. Also, I wasn't talking to you; I was talking to the girl," He says facing Claire. "What the hell happened? What did you do?" There is so much _hate _and _anger _in his voice that Claire backs away, like he could actually hurt her, the saying if looks could kills comes to her mind because Frank looked completely _murderous. _

"You mean you don't know?" Claire asks in disbelief. "You haven't talked to him?"

"No, I haven't talked to him, I've tried but he just leaves every room with speakers. I have heard rumors all everyone is talking about is that _Shane _is a God dammed vampire. You better tell me that's not true Claire, or you're not going to like what happen."

"Are you threatening her," Myrnin asks, voice deathly quiet. "Because if you are, _you're _going to regret it." Claire didn't like where this was going, not at all, she had to intervene and fast.

"Myrnin, Frank stop, he has a right to know," She says when Myrnin begins to protest, then she turns to Frank. "It's true, Shane—Shane's a vampire. There was an attack on Common Grounds you probably know, along with on the police and Amelie. So, there was no one I could call but him and Michael, they came and some crazy vamp named Henry who said you killed his girlfriend, he—he turned him to get back at you Frank." Claire chokes out, barely able to say it without crying. Frank freezes, she sees it him that it's _his _fault and it's awful to watch, Claire turns away.

"Where is the bastard?" Frank growls. "I have a job to finish."

"With what hands Frank?" Myrnin asks coldly. "Have you forgotten who is the master here? I will not permit you to kill anyone…well for now. You leave this girl alone _now _before I decide to reprogram you."

"Fine," Frank hisses. "But this isn't over _leech_," He turns to face Claire. "And you better fix this. He can't lose you, it'll tear him apart. Maybe you and that Goth freak should just turn vamp too, finish the job this nightmare of a town has started." He finishes with a bitter leer before disappearing with a wave of static.

Claire stares after him, completely baffled. Frank wanted her to become a _vampire_? Where did that come from? He wanted her to do it for _Shane_? Because, honestly, she wouldn't have been surprised if he had told her to get a stake ready. He definitely wasn't father of the year by any means.

"He has a point you know," Myrnin says quietly. Claire whirls to face him, and she can't help her jaw from dropping in shock. Myrnin _agreed _with Frank? "It may be for the best if you became a vampire. Think of all you could learn all you could accomplish. I know I offered this to you before and you refused, but you weren't in your right mind then if I remember correctly, and now you have time to think on it."

"No Myrnin, just no, that's never going to happen." Claire says firmly, though she knows her voice shakes a bit.

"Really?" Myrnin says not taking his off of her. "Are you sure? Because eventually, you _will _grow old as will that Eva girl."

"Eve," Claire mutters out of habit. "Her name is Eve."

"Potato Potatoh, as I believe they still say," Myrnin says with a wave of his hand, dismissing her. "You will grow old and Shane will leave you, and you will die and he will forget you and move on. Is that what you really want Claire? Or would you like the opportunity to live, to _learn_ forever?" His eyes are shining feverishly bright and intense. He was completely serious and it terrified Claire.

"I-I can't do that Myrnin," Claire says trembling and desperately trying to stop. "I couldn't _be _that. There's so much I still want to do, MIT… I want to _leave _Myrnin. I can't be stuck here forever."

"Do you think Amelie will ever let you leave with all that you know? With all that she can make you do for Morganville? She is considering letting vampires leave, for a designated amount of time. But only vampires and only the most trusted, humans are not trust worthy enough to be set free."

"So we're just a bunch of animals in a cage that you can do what you want with right? A farm where you get your food." Claire says bitterly. She had always known this, deep down, but to hear him actually say it.

"You are not hearing what I'm saying," Myrnin says with a frown. "If you were a vampire, you would be allowed to leave for an allotted amount of time, and then you would be escorted back. You could go to your MIT, maybe live in the world for many years. There is much now that can be explained with makeup, hair-die and that rubber surgery. You could all leave, Michael, Shane, Eve, and you Claire."

"It's plastic surgery and _no _Myrnin, I can't. First off, none of them would ever allow it, second I couldn't be a vampire Myrnin, I couldn't be a killer." But Claire couldn't lie to herself; the idea of learning _forever _was daunting and dazzling. She could learn so much; do so many things, things that could help people. But the consequences…she would lose herself, become a different person, no, a different _species _entirely and she didn't know if she could handle it. In the end, it was better to lose an eternity with Shane and countless opportunities than herself, no matter how much it hurt. Or at least that's what she tried to convince herself.

"Just think on it my dear," Myrnin says quietly as she grabs her backpack and starts to leave. "I'll always be here in case you do decide it's for the best, which I do hope you will see." Claire bounds up the steps, desperate to get away, to leave the thoughts swimming in her head behind with Myrnin and the endless future he offered.


	9. Chapter 9

**_Michael_**

When Eve told me that Shane was a vampire, I flat out didn't believe it, even with the tears streaming down her cheeks, even though I could see the truth in her eyes. It was impossible to believe that _Shane _was a vampire. It was like an incredibly bad dream, because, if what Eve was saying was true, then it was _my _fault. He was always supposed to have my back, like I was supposed to have his. Everything had been going just fine until they'd surrounded me and I'd woken up with a stake in my back, with Eve holding me and crying and telling me that Shane was a vampire and that he'd nearly killed Claire.

I'd been waiting to talk to him about, tell him how sorry I was, how I hated myself for leaving to face that vampire alone. He'd always thought that vamps couldn't be trusted, he'd trusted me, despite this, and that had given him something that he thought was worse than death. Now with Claire at Count Creepy's and Eve at work, I had an opportunity. I didn't think I could ever make it right, but I had to try.

"Hey Shane?" I say as I come into the living room to see him blowing at zombies at a crazy pace, vampire speed.

"Yeah Bro?" He replies without taking his eyes off the zombie carnage.

"Could I talk to you for a minute?" I ask awkwardly, this whole talk about your feelings things was something us guys never did or had the desire to do, ever. But I knew I had to put my manly pride away this once, because this was serious, well more serious than usual.

"Sure just let me finish this."

"No, I really need to talk to you about…well about…you know what about Shane." I say completely frustrated. Shane freezes and his character gets torn to bits by zombies, but he doesn't pay attention.

"No, I can't talk about that right now Michael," He says without looking at me and I hear him take in a shaky breath. "It's—it's just too soon okay?" I know he wants me to leave it that but I can't, no matter how much _I _want to I can't.

"No man, it's now or never, you know you'll just keep putting this off and we need to talk."

"What's there to talk about Michael?" Shane asks finally turning to look at me, his face an unreadable mask. "The fact that I'm a vampire? Or that I nearly killed Claire? Or did I forget to mention the fact that I'm a _fucking _vampire?" By the end, his eyes are a blazing red and he's shaking, light tremors running through his body.

"Shane," I say slowly, hands out in front of me, trying to show that I'm not a threat. "Just calm down man okay? That's not your fault, any of it."

"To hell it's not," He says laughing bitterly. "Then who's is it?"

"Mine," I say quietly, looking at the ground. "It's my fault. I should have had your back and I didn't. I got staked, and you…" I say swallowing hard. "You got vamped. And it's all my fault. And I'm so sorry for that Shane, God you cannot believe how sorry I am. And I'll owe you for that, well forever. I know there's nothing I can do to fix this, but I'm going to try my best man, I'm going to help you through this, whatever you need, just tell me. And believe me; I've been beating myself up about it. God I'm so _sorry _Shane." I say my voice breaking at the end. Shane has gone completely still, and I mentally brace myself for his reaction.

"You think this _your _fault?" Shane says, voice filled with disbelief. "It's _my _fault. You were what talking on five vamps alone and I had _one _and he got me. He was after me anyway; he would have tried to get me sometime. I was just stupid enough to let my guard down for a _second _and he vamped me in front of Eve, in front of _Claire_. And he—he made me feed on Claire and I wasn't going to stop. God, I didn't _want _to stop, but then I heard her say that she _loved me _even while I was draining her dry and it snapped me out of it. Only that, if she hadn't said anything, I would have killed her. Because that's what I am now right Mikey? A killer, forever. I'm done with the girl chat." He finishes sounding cynical and bitter before standing up and zipping up the stairs, vampire quick.

I stare after him, completely in shock. Something had changed in Shane, something that shouldn't have. I know that I changed when I became a vampire, but this was so _drastic_. I really hoped he would talk to Claire about this, or else I could see that something bad was going to happen, fast.


	10. Chapter 10

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**_Amelie_**

"Oliver is here to see you ma'm" I hear buzz through the speaker, sitting on my desk.

"Then let him in." I reply my voice cool and distant, although I'm puzzled and somewhat interested as to why Oliver was deciding to pay a visit.

The door clicks open and there stands Oliver, tall and imposing, and though he is still in his ridiculous human disguise of a hippie, you cannot ignore the power emanating from him. I gesture with a pale hand for him to sit in the leather chair in front of my desk. He declines, choosing instead to remain standing, although he does stride forward to stand in front of me. I raise an eyebrow at him, wondering what point he has decided to make today.

"Oliver," I say still sounding cool and commanding. "What business brings you here?"

"None in particular," He replies with a shrug. "Mostly you, actually."

"Me?" I reply, raising my eyebrows higher. "When have I ever been your business?" I think a moment, trying to figure out what he could possibly be talking about. A second later, I realize what he means and I turn cold. "_That _does not make me your business Oliver. That kiss was a mistake and we both know it. Now if that is all, I'm going to ask you to leave." I say standing up and walking over to open it.

He flashes over, vampire quick, and it takes _me _by surprise. He slams the door closed, and leans over me, trapping me against the door with his hands on either side of my head. And I allow him to do it.

"Really Amelie?" He says voice barely above a whisper. "Is that what you really think? You do not have to be an ice queen with me. You do not always have to be so strong."

"But I do," I say, managing to keep the tremble from my voice and the ice in. "If I ever let go, someone will overthrow me. If I show weakness, my world will fall apart. I have no one Oliver, no one can be trusted, especially not _you_."

"Maybe at one time that would be true," He says as his dark eyes meet mine, burning into me. "But I have no desire to overthrow you now Amelie. Things are changing and I would like us to rule as equals. We can take care of each other, _protect _each other."

"And how do I know you can be trusted? How do I know that if I do trust you, the second my back is turned you won't try to kill me and take the town?"

"You don't," He replies, leaning closer. I try to lean back, but there is nowhere to go and he is so so close. "You just have to have faith."

"Faith?" I say laughing bitterly. "I can never trust anyone Oliver, no matter how close they may appear to be. All anyone ever wants is more power and most would do anything to obtain it. I find it extremely hard to believe that this time is any different. I suggest you leave, now."

"No Amelie, I'm tired of leaving. I'm tired of always doing as you tell me. You cannot just shove away your problems, your fears like this. You have to face them." And with that, he kisses me. I rear back in surprise and attempt to shove him away, to turn away, _anything._ Because this _can't _be happening. The first time was quick, a peck on the lips in a dark corner before heading into battle. This was different, it was long and slow and sweet and after a minute, I kiss him back. I allow the ice to melt and I fall into his arms.

Minutes, hours, maybe even days later, Oliver pulls back. "Marry me Amelie, right now. I can be ready in an hour." I stare at him, eyes wide.

"Marry you?" I say unable to hold back a laugh. "Oliver that's insane, that would be moving far too quickly."

"Is it Amelie? I believe that we have been coming towards this for a while." I look back at him and realize he's right, my long time enemy, and occasional ally, had been becoming something more, we had just been waiting for the opportune moment to act on it. Now with the draug defeated, we could allow ourselves to have a relationship.

"Oliver are you sure…?" I ask trailing off. "An hour you say?" I say with a smile. "I hope I can be ready in time." He grins and it's a wonderful thing, it's so very rare to see Oliver give a true smile.

"Meet me in an hour then at the church. I'll be waiting." He gives me another light kiss on the lips before zipping out the door. I touch my lips and smile myself, _I _was getting married in an _hour_.

It was so very unlike me to be so spontaneous. Even with my dear Sam I had waited to have a relationship, and then I had pushed him away. That was my mistake, and one I would not make again. Sam had been sweet, gentle and kind, too much to survive in this town. Oliver was entirely different, he was strong, and harsh and commanding, he would be able to take care of me and I would take care of him, at least for a while. Vampire relationships and marriages could last anywhere from just days to centuries. The longest I had heard of was half a millennia. Most were out of necessity rather than love. Some parted friends, while others parted bitter enemies. There was no way to tell how ours would last and eventually end. But for now, I needed to get prepare. We wanted to keep this quiet for as long as possible so I would be getting myself ready.

"Have my car out front and ready in an hour," I order my assistant. "No guards."

"Yes, ma'm. "She replies and I can hear her confusion. But I do not care, because I was getting _married_.

**_One Hour later_**

I step out of my care in front of the church, so excited; I'm practically bouncing with anticipation like a child would. I manage to hold my composure and approach the doors. I have in a small, white, beaded, clutch purse Oliver's ring. It is a simple gold band, adorned with nothing, I know he would not like anything too elaborate, and also, there was no time for the ring maker to create anything more complex.

My dress is long, white, and flowing, with lace sleeves that reach my wrists and go off my shoulders, a square neckline, and small pearls embroidered onto it. There was a surprisingly large store of wedding gowns in the building. I do not wear a veil, though my hair is up in a complicated knot and a few strands of hair hang down that are curled and frame my face.

My hand trembles as I reach for the door, but someone opens it for me and I look up in surprise to see Myrnin. My longtime friend and ally, wonderful, insane Myrnin. I give him a questioning look and he smiles.

"Oliver told me, congratulations my dear. Although truthfully, I did not see this coming. You do need a witness. But are you really sure about this? Oliver is so…well Oliver."

I smile again at his ramblings. "Yes I am quite sure my friend. Thank you for being here."

"It is an honor." He replies with a deep bow. I walk in the door to see another surprise; Claire is standing there as well holding a bouquet of white roses which she hands to me. "Oliver called you as well?"

"No, Myrnin did, he said there was an emergency at the church and that I had to come alone. I still don't know why he had me come; I can leave if you want." She says looking nervous and out of place. I stare at her a minute thinking, if there was anyone I wished to be able to trust in this town, it was Claire, she was a valuable ally and if she was your friend, she would do anything for you. I knew she was not my friend, and that she most likely didn't trust me after my attempt to make her into a vampire, but she was most likely the closest thing I would get to one. I was glad she was there.

"No, both of you stay. Thank you for coming, but please keep this to yourselves. I do not wish for rumors to be going around."

"Of course." Myrnin says with a nod.

"I won't say anything." Claire says sincerely.

"Thank you." I say nodding. I turn towards the aisle and I see Father Joe with Oliver, waiting at the altar, smiling. There is no music, no "Here Comes the Bride," and no father to walk me down the aisle as he is fortunately quite dead. This is not first wedding, I had one as a human, at a much younger age than it is suitable to be married now, it didn't work out, mostly because I killed him.

As I begin to slowly walk flowers and ring in hand, I ponder things. Oliver, in appearance, is much older than me, old enough to be my father, but I was put onto this earth many years before him and had I been human when he was born, I would have been the age of his grandmother, maybe even his great. He was strong, and cold, and fierce and we would take care of each other. We may be together a decade or a dozen centuries, but that didn't matter now. I could afford to be myself with him and he accepted me as I excepted him. We were sure to have disagreements, disputes, but we would work them out. For the first time that I can remember, I was allowing myself to be happy.

I reach the alter and Oliver who is wearing a simple tuxedo with a red tie, a blaze of color amongst the monochrome colors of his suit, skin and hair which is pulled back in a strict ponytail.

"Are you two ready?" Father Joe asks, smiling.

"Yes." We say in unison.

"Then let us begin," He says with a nod before commencing the vows which are much different from those between two humans. "Oliver, do you promise to treat Amelie equal in all things?"

"Yes."

"And Amelie, do you promise to treat Oliver equal in all things?"

"Yes." I reply.

"Oliver, do you promise that you will share all things equally with Amelie in business, politics, finances, property, and in your relationship? What's yours is hers and what's hers is yours. "

"Yes."

"Amelie, do you promise that you will share all things equally with Amelie in business, politics, finances, property, and in your relationship?"

"Yes." I say letting a smile come to my lips.

"Oliver, do you promise to remain with Amelie and only Amelie until you both mutually decide to terminate this relationship?"

"Yes." He says smiling back at me. Surprisingly, I feel what I believe are called butterflies in my stomach.

"Amelie, do you promise to remain with Oliver and only Oliver until you both mutually decide to terminate this relationship?"

"Yes."

"Oliver, do you take Amelie as your wife?"

"I do."

"Amelie, do you take Oliver as your husband."

"I do."

"Do you have the rings?" Oliver pulls out mine, a gold band with a swirling, floral design etched on it, with one large diamond, flanked by three smaller ones on each side and he slides it on my finger. I pull out mine and slip it on his; they are both a perfect fit. I smile and look into his dark eyes and he looks in mine. "I now pronounce you husband and wife. Oliver, you may kiss your bride." He concludes smiling.

He does and I don't think it's possible for anyone to be happier, then we are at that moment.

* * *

**Sorry for the absolutely horrendous kissing scene! So what do you all think of Amelie and Oliver together? Let me know! *****Spoiler Alert for this story!***** So, lets say that Amelie and Oliver have kids, twins to be exact (don't ask how it will be explained later!) they will be three in the story, girl looks like Amelie, boy looks like Oliver. What should they be named?! Because I am drawing a complete blank! First and middle names please! Also, what is Oliver's last name? And what are the names of Eve and Michael's moms if they are even mentioned? ****End of Spoiler!******* So please review thank 'ya very much! :) :D :P B) :3 ;P O.o 3 ;) :/ :O :-) **


	11. Chapter 11

**You know the drill people, review! :)**

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**_Shane_**

I was going on two months of being a vampire now and it wasn't getting any easier. Claire and I were growing further and further apart and I didn't know what to do about it. I tried to avoid her as much as possible; I couldn't stand to see the hurt and confusion in her eyes. Didn't she understand that I couldn't trust myself to be around her? I still didn't understand how she could ever forgive me.

There were perks though, I now had mad ninja skills at video games, and I could decapitate fifty zombies in thirty seconds flat. Everyone tried to pretend that things were the same as they always were, but we all knew they weren't.

There was also the blood. And that sucked, pun intended. I _liked _it, but once I realized what I was drinking, I couldn't get it down. I knew that was dangerous, starving myself like that, I could hurt someone. But I just _couldn't _drink it. It disgusted me; the fact that I _enjoyed _it disgusted me even more.

And then Michael had asked me how I was doing. How did he _think _I was doing? I was the one thing I hated most, my worst nightmare and I couldn't handle it. I couldn't accept the fact that I would be _this _forever. I couldn't accept that Claire would grow old and die and that I would be left alone.

Frank kept trying to talk to me, so I avoided speakers as much as possible. I couldn't stand to hear the scorn, the disappointment, the hatred that I was bound to hear in his voice. Morganville had claimed my family one by one, I had thought I was the survivor, I was wrong.

I needed to leave the house, leave Claire before I hurt someone like I knew would happen. That was what vampires did, they hurt people, destroyed lives. I couldn't stand to do that to my friends, to Claire. Sure, Michael was different. But he always was. He had had a vamp for a grandpa. He was the golden boy, never got in trouble, and always did the right thing, showed self-control. I was the trouble maker, the delinquent, the town screw up, son of the town drunk. I was impulsive, never thought about things before I said or did something, I was bound to screw up, just like always. And it hurt knowing that, man it hurt more than any of them, even Claire could or would ever know.


	12. Chapter 12

**_Claire_**

I walk into the door to the comforting smell of chili. It's been two months since Amelie and Oliver's wedding, three since Shane has become a vampire. It's hard to believe that so much time has passed so quickly.

"I'm home!" I call as I chuck my bag beside the door before walking into the living room to see Shane and Michael battling at some zombie game with Eve cheering them on.

"Hey," Shane says as I sit beside him without taking his eyes off of the T.V screen. "How was school?"

"Good," I reply, my usual response. We have slowly been growing apart, bit by bit every day and I didn't know why. I was completely fine and I forgave him but he didn't seem to have forgiven himself. I was worried about him; he was growing thin, and even paler than a vampire should be. I saw him eat, _food _at least, but I didn't know if he was getting what was nutritious to him now. I didn't know how to broach the subject with him. I didn't really know how to say _anything _to him now.

"How's the life of a slacker?" I ask, hoping to get a smile, a frown, anything at all.

"Couldn't be better," He says smiling and giving me a peck on the cheek. "I decided to spice things up tonight, there's brisket _in _the chili."

"That sounds disgusting." I say wrinkling my nose, it really did I mean come on barbeque in chili? That was just wrong.

"Barbeque is never disgusting, and neither is my chili. That's as impossible as the sky turning red and raining cookies."

"I'm not so sure about that," Eve says, earning a pillow thrown at her, courtesy of Shane. She throws it right back. "Come on guys, video game time is over. We're all going to sit down to dinner like a nice normal family." And with that, she walks up and turns off the T.V.

"Hey!" Michael and Shane say in unison outraged.

"And since when are we nice or normal?" Michael asks, following Eve into the kitchen.

"Since now," I say serving myself a bowl and sitting beside Shane. "How'd work go?" I ask Eve.

"Weird, again. The boss is so _cheerful _now, it disturbs me." Eve says with a shudder. I knew the reason for the sudden personality change, but I still can't tell anyone about Amelie and Oliver's wedding, and I _suck _at lying.

"Weird." I agree, deciding to play it safe and keep it short.

"Are any of you actually you know, going to _eat _my chili?" Shane asks. I look down at my untouched bowl and around the table to see that no one has eaten any except for Shane.

I lift up my spoon and, after a second, see and Eve and Michael do the same. I sniff it, and it _smells _okay, but the question was, did it _taste _okay. Hesitantly, I raise it to my lips and take a bite and… it's okay. Not as good as regular chili in my opinion, but okay. Michael and Shane seem to love it from the way they wolf it down.

"Hey," I say going up to Shane after diner before he heads back to the couch for more zombie killing. "Can I talk to you for a minute?" I see the panic in his eyes before he quickly masks it.

"Sure, I'll be up in a minute." He says, giving me a light kiss on the lips.

"Okay." I say giving him a small smile, before heading upstairs to my room. I lie back on my bed, listening to my I-pod, waiting. At least fifteen minutes later, I begin to doze off when I hear a knock on my door.

"Come in!" I say sitting up and switching it off while attempting to smooth down my hair. The door slowly opens to reveal Shane, standing there awkwardly. I pat the spot beside me, he walks over and sits a foot away, and I try not to let him see how much that hurts me.

"What do you want to talk about?" Shane asks, refusing to look at me.

"You _know _what about Shane. You. Us."

"What about me, us?" Shane asks, still not looking at me.

"Why have you been avoiding me? Why are you becoming so distant?" I ask, deciding to get straight to the point.

"I don't know Claire, maybe because I almost killed you! Maybe because I'm a vampire and I don't want to hurt you again!" Shane practically shouts jumping up vamp quick and pacing in front of me.

"Shane, how many times do I have to tell you that I forgive you?" I shout back angrily. "I know that wasn't you! I know you wouldn't hurt me!"

"But that is me now Claire," He says quietly stopping and looking at the floor again. "I'm a _monster _and I'll hurt you again, it's only a matter of time."

"No you won't Shane! And you aren't a monster!" I say standing up and grabbing his hands. "Michael doesn't hurt Eve! Are you saying that he's a monster?"

"Yes, but he can't help it. And he's _good_, he always has more self-control, he always seems so _perfect_. And we both know I'm not like that Claire, I've got bad in me, I'm impulsive, it seems like I'm always screwing up," He says giving a bitter laugh. "The monster will beat me Claire, sooner or later and I don't want it to hurt anyone."

"Shane, you are good. You are the kindest person I've ever met," I say desperately, squeezing his hands tight. "You'd risk your life for a total stranger. And yes, you have a temper, you're impulsive, I'm not going to deny that. But everyone has their faults, even Michael. And I love you, the good and the bad, all of it Shane. I trust you. Maybe you'll have to work harder at it than Michael, but you'll _win _Shane. I know you will. We can work this out."

"Really?" Shane asks quietly, finally meeting my eyes, his face is full of torment and bitter contempt. I can't stand it. "Are you so sure, because I'm not. I don't trust myself Claire, especially not around you. I couldn't live with myself if I hurt you again. "

"You won't Shane! You just have to accept it! You're a vampire Shane," I see him flinch at the word. "No you are Shane! You. Are. A vampire! Just accept that and stop trying to be something else! Then you won't hurt me, you'll be yourself again."

"No I won't be. Michael's changing, admit _that_ Claire, because he is and we all know it. And I'm going to change; I'll never be _me _again. That's what you have to accept." His tone is so harsh, so _sure _that it almost scares me.

"We all change Shane! I'm changing, and so is Eve! Change doesn't have to be bad! All you're doing is hurting yourself! Are you eating?" I demand, he looks back at me confused.

"You just saw me down two bowls of chili Claire."

"No, are you _eating_?" I ask and I see when the meaning hits him, his eyes go dark and hard before he looks away, again.

"No, not really, I can't Claire, it's disgusting."

"You don't like it?" I ask perplexed, generally vampires loved the stuff in my experience.

"No, I _do_. And that's the problem. People shouldn't eat people Claire, it's not right."

"But you're not a person," I say gently, putting a hand on his cold cheek, he flinches away from my touch, but I keep it there. "No Shane, you're a different species, and you have to accept it. That doesn't have to be a bad thing. You're not hurting anybody by it, but if you keep starving yourself, you might lose control and attack someone. _Kill someone._ Not eating will just get you and someone else hurt. You need to learn self-control, and I think that's supposed to help you with it. So promise me that you'll eat. Promise me Shane."

"Fine, I promise." He mumbles.

"No," I say firmly. "Go get some and eat it here, now." His eyes widen and he shakes his head in horror.

"No Claire, I can't have you see me like that."

"Would you rather have me see you standing over a dead body?" I ask grimly, deciding to go the tough love route. He gives me a look that I can't comprehend before zipping out the door.

He's back a second later, holding a cup with a bag full of…Kool-Aid, yeah Kool-Aid, sitting in it. At least that's what I try to convince myself, but I know what it really is, blood. We both know it from the sick look of dread on Shane's face.

"Claire…" Shane says trailing off, looking at a loss for words.

"No Shane, you need to know that I support you. Go on." I say gesturing towards the bag. He hesitates, so I walk to my desk and grab a pair of scissors before walking back to him and snipping off the corner and dumping it into the cup. I see the moment the smell hits him; his eyes turn a fiery crimson and he steps away shaking, leaving me holding the cup.

I walk behind him, shutting the door and thrust the cup into his hands. He just stares at it, a mix of fascination, horror, and hunger on his face. "Drink." I command, although I'm really not sure I want to see him like this. He looks at me again and I manage to nod and give what I hope is an encouraging smile. He slowly lifts the cup to his lips with shaking hands and he tries to turn away, but I put both of my hands on either side of my face, locking him in place although he could easily rip away.

He begins to drink and his fangs snap down, like small white lethal daggers, and his eyes burn an even brighter red. He tries to look away, but I hold his gaze the entire time. When he finishes, seconds later although it seemed like hours, he throws the cup away from him, gasping, his cheeks flushed. Then he slumps down against the wall and I see a single tear track down his cheek.

"Shane its okay," I say soothingly as I kneel in front of him, taking his face in my hands again. "I'll help you get through this."

"God Claire, why did this have to happen to us?" Shane asks, still trembling and gulping in air. "Why couldn't I have something good happen to me for _once _in my life? We were supposed to get out of here, you were going to go to MIT and we'd get married and have a family. We can't have any of that now, not together at least." I freeze and stare at him horrified.

"No, no, no Shane, you are _not _breaking up with me! We'll get through this, okay? It will all work out somehow."

"Really?" Shane asks giving me a hard stare. "I won't let you become a vampire Claire, I won't, and you'll grow old and—and you'll die and I'll be all alone," I feel myself turn cold, it was almost exactly what Frank and Myrnin had said, but they couldn't be right, Shane and I were meant for each other, this was just another obstacle. "You don't deserve that life Claire. It would torture you; it would torture _me_, watching you grow old while I stay young. You deserve to follow your dreams, leave Morganville, have a family Claire. I can't give you any of that now."

"That doesn't matter right now!" I say desperately. "We'll figure something out when the time comes, but for now—let's just enjoy what we have okay? We have time before we have to figure all of that out. I won't leave you Shane; I love you no matter what."

"Claire…" Shane says, and I don't want to talk about the future anymore, talk about the struggles to come, so I kiss him. He stiffens at first, but then he kisses me back, hungrily, desperately. And even if I can still taste blood on his lips and that disgusts me, it's still _Shane_. My Shane and I love him, despite everything.

We kiss and we kiss, making up for the months apart. And when he kisses my neck and his cool lips hesitate over the skin, I know what I need to do. "Do it Shane," I breathe. "It's okay, I trust you." He hesitates another second before he kisses me there again and his fangs sink in a second later.

It hurts, but only for a second, and then I feel happy because I'm making him happy. I'm feeding him, making him better, showing that I trust him, that I love him unconditionally and I'm enveloped in a warm glow. He stops after and immeasurable amount of time and I feel light headed, but I know he didn't take too much.

I snuggle in next to his cool body, smiling. We were okay now, problems were just around the bend, but for now it was just Shane and me, free from all worries. And that was a nice change.


	13. Chapter 13

**Okay-I'm updating this. Thank you Narutorox you rock for reviewing all the time! I did get the names the first time, sorry I didn't mention it, I appreciate the suggestions and thankyou for finding those names for me! :) Review...or else! Yeah I don't know what the or else is but...you won't like it! So please review! And to those who have you're awesome! :) And I would really appreciate it if you would give me some name suggestions that I asked for previously. Twenty-four days till Christmas people! Woo-who! :D**

* * *

**_Claire_**

The next morning, Claire wakes up feeling completely fine, until she looks at her clock and sees she has a test in thirty minutes. Gently, she removes Shane's arm from around her waist. He mumbles something incoherent and rolls over onto his stomach, burying his face into the pillows. Claire smiles before standing up and wobbling a bit as the room momentarily spins. It only lasts a second and she's completely fine, yeah, perfectly fine.

Claire goes to her dresser, contemplating her clothing choice because she knew what she'd see if she looked in the mirror, two neat, red, little holes on the side of her neck. Finally, after much internal debate, she decides on a light blue sweat shirt that could zip up to her chin and her customary pair of jeans paired with her beat up Converse. If she was Eve, she probably would have worn some elaborate scarf or something, but this would have to do.

She hops in the shower, one of the quickest she had ever taken, and zips the sweatshirt up almost to her chin, knowing it will look ridiculous in the hot Texas heat. She had hoped to avoid her roommates, as none of them were really morning people, but Eve was busy making herself breakfast.

"Hey," Claire says as she gets herself a thermos full of coffee with added cream and sugar. "Why are you up so early?"

"The girl with the morning shift got sick," Eve says with a groan. "I got called like an hour ago and it didn't sound optional. Why are you up so early?" Despite the early hour, Eve was wearing full Goth, fishnets, clunky boots, black leather skirt covered in chains and zippers, and a red T-shirt with a bedazzled skull in the middle, topped with ghost makeup, blood red lip stick, and crazy black hair.

"Class, like right now. Gotta go." Claire says as she goes to scoop up her bag and head out the door, trying to avoid questions.

"Whoa, hold up girl, what's with the sweatshirt in the ninety degree heat?" Eve asks intercepting her, eyebrows raised, arms crossed.

"I like it," Claire says weakly with a shrug. "Besides, it gets cold in those classrooms."

"Yeah, uh-huh. You look_ so _guilty Claire, and with that sweatshirt practically zipped up to your chin, I can guess why. You get how dangerous that is, don't you?"

"I—I don't know what you're talking about." Claire stammers, turning to grab her bag as a way to hide the blush of embarrassment creeping onto her face.

"Don't B.S me Claire! You're a horrible liar by the way. I'm not saying you shouldn't, I'm just saying that you need to be careful."

"Why is it okay when you let Michael do it Eve?" Claire asks indigently, looking back at her. "Do you make sure you're careful with him?"

"Of course I do!" Eve says frowning at Claire. "But we both know that Shane doesn't rule Impulse land as the King of Control. Besides, we can all tell that something's wrong with him."

"Thanks for your concern," Claire snaps, no longer able to control her anger. "But I didn't think I was allowed to get involved with what happens between you and Michael, and I don't want to! So I get that you're worried but, quite frankly, it's none of your business. And I know that something's wrong with Shane but he's going to be fine, he's finally talking to me, and I'm helping him okay? Now I really have to get to class Eve." Claire says, slinging up her backpack and walking out the door, but not before seeing Eve, wide eyed and mouth dropped open in shock.

Walking down the street, Claire can't help but smile a little. She was always good, quiet, little Claire. _She _wasn't supposed to cause a confrontation like that; the fact that Eve seemed so shocked proved that. Sure, she stood up for things, important things, life and death things, but this was for _her_. It felt good.

After her test, which she was the first to finish and that she knew she aced, Claire _knew _she had to go to Myrnin's. She had been avoiding him for weeks, every time she went, the topic of Shane somehow came up and it always became tense and uncomfortable. But he had been calling her constantly, and trying to get through the portal at the house. Claire just didn't want to deal with it, but she knew soon Amelie would intervene and that was something no one wanted. As far as Amelie was concerned, Claire practically belonged to the town.

Claire walks to the alley by the Day house, stopping to wave to Gramma Day, who sat rocking on her front porch with a pitcher of iced tea waiting in case Claire wanted to come up and chat, but Claire just wanted to get this over with. She walks down the narrow alley towards the ramshackle shack the led to Myrnin's layer.

Claire takes a deep breath before taking out her key, turning it in the padlock and opening the door which creaks loudly, shattering the complete silence. Claire slowly walks down the steps, into Myrnin's lab, which of course, is a complete mess with lab tables pushed everywhere, papers, books, glass, equipment and other unidentifiable things. Claire sighs knowing that she'll have to pick it up or no one will.

"Claire!" Myrnin says suddenly says popping up behind her making her force down a shriek. "Ah! You're here! Good! There is so much to do!"

"Yeah I can see that, when did the tornado hit?" Claire asks dryly.

"Oh that?" Myrnin asks taking in the mess and dismissing it with a wave of his hand. "No not that. Something of much more importance. Come—" He starts grabbing her hand and beginning to yank her away, but suddenly he freezes, staring at her. No, staring at her _neck_.

"What Myrnin?" Claire asks yanking her hand away, of course, he doesn't let go. Slowly, his other hand reaches for the zipper on her sweatshirt. "Myrnin let me go!" Claire says, desperately trying to get away. She really didn't want to deal with this right now. Myrnin ignores her, and he slowly unzips her sweatshirt ripping it off her, leaving her in a T-shirt. Myrnin stares at her neck, at the two red holes there, his face filled with a mixture of protective fury and worry before he quickly covers it with a blank mask.

"Claire," Myrnin asks, voice deathly quiet. "Who bit you?"

"None of your business!" Claire snaps, glaring up at him. "Now let me go!" She tries to pull away again, but he keeps his grip painfully tight.

"Was it Shane? Tell me Claire!" He asks shaking her so hard her teeth rattle. "Because if so, this seems a very foolish way to remain human as I believe you have chosen. Do you not realize how dangerous this is? Do you not realize that he could easily lose control? That he could _kill _you Claire? How do you think that would affect your Shane? Do you think he would be able to live with the guilt? Or would he choose to join you?"

"Myrnin stop it please!" Claire says desperately, on the verge of tears. Things had started to go so well and now everyone seemed to be turning against her.

"Fine," Myrnin says finally releasing her, making Claire stumble back, rubbing her aching wrist which was sure to have a bruise by tomorrow. "I am through with you today. Go." He turns from her, back rigid with tension.

Claire stares at him speechless. Why did he care if Shane bit her, how did that affect him? And why was everyone so sure that Shane couldn't control himself?

"I said go!" Myrnin roars whirling back around, his eyes a blazing red. Claire quickly snatches her sweatshirt and scoops up her backpack, walking up the stairs as fast as she could backwards, not wanting to take her eyes off of him. He stares right back the whole time with barely contained fury, his eyes ruby red. When Claire reached the top, she runs as fast as she can out of the shack and through the alley. At the end, she's gasping and she pauses a second to sit and catch her breath on the side walk.

"Everything all right?" Claire hears a voice asks and turns to see Gramma Day holding her shotgun and looking extremely dangerous despite being a little old lady who looked like she couldn't harm a fly normally. People in Morganville were full of surprises; they had to be, if they wanted to survive.

"I'm fine Gramma," Claire says with a weak smile. "He's just in a bad mood."

"Not my favorite neighbor, that's for sure," Gramma says with a scowl. "If you ever want me to take care of him for you, just let me know, you hear?"

"I will," Claire assures her. "Thanks."

"Sure thing honey, you have a good day now." She says before settling back into her rocking chair and depositing her gun beside her.

"You too!" Claire calls as she pulls her sweatshirt back on and zips it up before heading back down the street towards home. No one would be home by now and a boring day of studying was just what she needed.


	14. Chapter 14

**Okay so I was going to have a bunch of monumental, mind blowing stuff happen in this but, I decided to kind of make it just a nice happy little chapter before a ton of craziness. I'm really bad at filler chapters and I'm sorry if you think this moves really fast, but technically, its been several months since the begining. I also dislike reading chapters where nothing much happens and this is sort of one of them. It's all nice and happy kind of a calm before the storm. I'm going to have one or two major chapters full of insanity posted in like twenty minutes. Oh yeah and review porfavor!**

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****_Claire_****

One Month Later

Things with Shane have been going so much better. He's, you know eating, though I still have to remind him and make sure that he actually is. He's been acting more and more like his old self. And things aren't as tense with everyone. Eve hadn't brought the whole me and Shane thing up again either. Myrnin is still acting weird, distant, less crazy more formal. I waited a week before going back and he acted like nothing had happened, it worried me a little though.

"We should do something fun tonight." Eve declares as we sit on the couch watching Michael and Shane explode things on the T.V.

"Like what?" I ask, there wasn't a whole lot in the entertainment department in Morganville.

"We could go bowling, or see a movie or rob a bank…." Eve says when she realizes the neither of the boys are listening. "That would be fun right Michael robbing a bank?"

"What? Oh sure, cool." Michael says, never taking his eyes off the T.V.

"Boys." Eve and I say at the same time and laughing.

"What?" Shane and Michael both ask at the same time, doing their best at sounding innocent.

"Come on you two," Eve says going to stand in front of the T.V. "It's family fun time."

"I always hated what happened after my parents said that, it was never what I or really anyone would say is "fun." Shane says clicking off the T.V.

"Well this time it will it will be." I say, hoping that I'm speaking the truth.

"I guess a movie would be good," Shane says with a shrug. "I heard a new zombie movie is out."

"No," Eve says with a groan. "Anything _but _that."

"Yeah, and no explosions either," I say when Shane begins to protest. "You guys always pick the movie. Eve and I get to pick this time."

"What do you have in mind?" Michael asks warily. Eve and I look at each other and grin.

"That movie was terrible," Shane declares as we walk out of the theater. "Zombies are so much better than that!" And I had to agree, it had been some mystery/romantic comedy thing. The two genres hadn't mixed very well. Not that I had noticed much, we had all sat in the very back whispering and cracking jokes about it while Eve and I had snuggled up to Shane and Michael. It had been just what we all needed.

"Oh come on it wasn't that bad!" Eve argues.

"Yes it was!" Michael and Shane chorus together.

"Where to now?" I ask, since it was only like eight and things had been quiet in town for a while. There was still the occasional crazy vamp to watch out for, but other than that…

"Pizza?" Michael suggests.

"Yes!" Shane says giving Michael a hi-five. "Excellent idea bro." So with that, we all pile into Eve's hearse with Michael calling shotgun, leaving me and Shane in the back.

"Alone together in the back of a hearse, this is kind of romantic huh?" Shane asks leaning close to me. I smack him and he grins.

"Keep it PG!" Eve yells. "It's only like half a mile away!"

"Bite me Zombie Princess!" Shane shoots back.

"I thought that was your job now!" I see Shane's smile falter a little at that.

"Hey, are you okay?" I whisper, sincerely worried that something would send him back to gloomy distant Shane.

"Yeah," He says giving me a kiss on the cheek. "I'm great. Why?"

"Just checking." I say with a small smile, but we both know why I asked. Shane drops the act and puts his arm around me, pulling me close and he kisses the top of my head.

"Really Claire, I'm fine."

"I know Shane." I say turning to give him my best reassuring smile. But I'm not sure, no I'm not sure at all.

We get a booth at this little pizza place that looks like it probably hasn't redecorated in a couple decades. Peeling red vinyl booths, torn checked table cloths and a couple of dusty paintings. It's deserted except for a couple of people that look like they could be college students. I'm skeptical about it, it's kind of creepy actually but everyone raves about the pizza so I decide to trust them. We get a medium cheese for Eve and me and a extra-large meat lovers for Michael and Shane from a waitress who looks like she came with the place she's so old.

"Weird how quiet things are huh?" Shane asks as he devours a piece of pizza, I'd lost count at four.

"Yeah but weren't things like this when you guys were growing up? I mean aside from the whole vampire infestation it was quiet right?" I ask biting into my own slice, they were right, it was _amazing _pizza.

"As far as we knew." Michael says a little darkly.

"Yeah we weren't exactly in the loop then." Eve adds. We're all silent for a moment at that, it was true; the vamps didn't always give pertinent lifesaving information to Morganville's breathing residents.

"I'm sure they'd tell us if something was going on," I say firmly, though I'm not quite sure I believe it. "And isn't it a _good _thing that we can finally relax?"

"Yeah," Shane says with a sigh. "I'm just always on edge you know? Always waiting for the next impending doom."

"Well I hope that it stays this way. Things are perfect." Eve says with a smile.

"_Too _perfect," Shane mumbles under his breath then, "Hey!" As Eve kicks him from under the table.

"Come on guys, stop worrying!" I say smiling brightly. "We should do this more often now that we aren't running for our lives on all the days that end in y."

"Totally," Eve agrees. "But I'm stuffed." She declares throwing down her pizza in defeat with the napkin on top as a flag of surrender.

"Me too," I agree, shoving my plate away. "I couldn't eat another bite."

"Seriously?" Michael asks astonished sharing a twin look of disbelief with Shane. "You both ate like two pieces."

"So?" Eve asks with a shrug. "That's how much _normal _people eat. Unlike you two."

"What I only had like what five? Six maybe?" Shane says as if that's not enough to feed two or three people.

"Yeah I'm still hungry and if you two aren't going to eat it well I can't let it go to waste." Michael says snagging a piece of the cheese so does Shane.

I roll my eyes and look at Eve. "Boys." We say in agreement for the second time that night and we burst out laughing. It really was nice for things to be so peaceful so _normal _for a change. We were all just a couple of teenagers hanging out for once. There were no vampires, no evil villains to face. It was just a couple of friends having pizza. It was nice. Really nice.

After an epic rock-paper-scissors-battle between Shane and Michael over the last piece of pizza (which Shane won by the way), we all piled back into Eve's car with Shane and me in the back again. Shane puts his arm around me and I snuggle against him closing my eyes. It really had been an amazing night.


	15. Chapter 15

**_Claire_**

Claire wakes up as Shane carries her up the stairs to the house. She must mumble or something because Shane looks down at her and smiles. "Hey sleep head."

"Hey." Claire whispers back relaxing into his arms again. She was way too tired to give up the free transportation. A minute or two later, she is gently deposited onto her bed and Shane turns to leave.

"No," Claire says managing to sit up. "Please stay."

"I thought you were too tired." Shane says with a grin.

"I _am _tired," Claire agrees. "And _we're _going to bed."

"Oh you're no fun." Shane says but he comes to sit on the edge of the bed, kicking his shoes off and Claire does the same before they both lie down, Claire's back against Shane, his hand draped over her waist. She turns to give him a kiss goodnight and somehow, she keeps kissing and kissing him although she really had intended to go to bed. They kiss long, and slow, and sweet and when Shane's mouth lingers on her neck, she puts her hand onto his head and guides his mouth down again. She knew by now that he knew when to stop.

The initial sting always hurt but after that, she was in a dreamy state, completely happy knowing that she was making him happy. And just when she became light headed, he'd pull away, but this time, something goes wrong. Horribly wrong. Because when Claire starts to feel light headed and floaty, Shane doesn't pull away. She struggles to remember if he had fed today and she can't remember him ever doing it.

"Shane," Claire says as loud as she can, trying to push him away. "Shane stop, you're taking too much. You're going to hurt me," Shane growls in response and pulls away a moment, to Claire's relief, but all she sees are his blood red eyes filled with an infinite hunger, there is no recognition, no love, no _Shane _in those eyes. He snarls again, his teeth and mouth stained scarlet with her blood. "Please Shane; you don't want to do this! This isn't you!" Claire says desperately her fear building.

"Mine," Shane growls and pulls her tight into the steel cage of his embrace. "Mine. My prey."

"No Shane, please." Claire begs, tears spilling over although she knows how dangerous it is to show weakness to a vampire.

"Hungry. Thirsty. Burning." Shane says as if in pain.

"I can get you blood in the kitchen Shane," Claire says, desperate to reason with him. She'd never seen him like this and it completely terrified her.

"No. Warm. Fresh. Mine. Shhh." Shane says before sinking his fangs back into her neck. Claire cries out weakly and tries to struggle but even without his vampire strength, he'd already taken too much for her to really put up a fight. How could he do this what happened? Why when things were finally _good_? Claire thinks as she feels the pain in both her neck, and her heart.

"Shane, please." She whispers again, before she grows too weak and succumbs to the overwhelming darkness.

I didn't recognize the warm delicious thing in my arms, although I vaguely realized that she kept saying my name and that bothered me, something was trying to surface, something important…but I push it away. All that mattered was that the burning in my throat stopped, that my hunger stopped. And I don't know why, but I tell her this, almost hoping that she would understand.

_What are you doing?_ A distant voice roars in the back of my mind. _That's Claire you idiot! You're killing her! _

_Prey. Mine. Hungry. Thirsty. _I answer it, willing it away.

_So what, no you're reduced to one word sentences like a caveman? Come on man, we're stupid, but not this stupid! That's Claire and she's going to die! It'll be all your fault. I'll die with her. You've got to stop this! _That didn't make sense, the voice was not me, I was me, why wouldn't it go away? It made my head hurt to think about it, so I didn't, I just drank and drank that marvelous burning hot liquid that soothed my aching throat.

_You f-ing idiot! Stop! STOP! __**STOP!**_The voice roars and I snap out of it. He scrambles away from Claire's limp body gasping. Oh God, What had I done? Was she—was she even breathing?

I stumble towards the bed and tentatively put a trembling hand on her wrist to take her pulse. A first I don't feel it, and if I had a heart that was currently beating, it would have stopped, but then I hear it, incredibly faint the drum beat reduced to a barely playing da- dum-da-dum. I had to get her help, fast. I lean down to pick her up and I see the two, ragged holes in her neck that sluggishly leak blood and I freeze in horror. Oh God, _he'd _done that. Oh God, oh God, what was _happening _to me?

I had to leave, right now, I couldn't stay now, no I had to leave. I was dangerous, I was a monster, there was no more denying it. I could never be with Claire. But I couldn't think about that right now, Claire…Claire needed me one last time.

"911 what's your emergency?" Her voice is business like, while trying to be comforting.

"It's Claire—Claire Danvers, she's at the house. Hurry."

"Sir, I need to know what happened," She says voice clipped now with an underlying layer of fear and tension. "Do you need an ambulance?"

"Vampire attack, she's nearly gone. God dammit hurry!" I shout the last part and throw down the phone, it smashes into pieces.

I give Claire one last look, knowing that this is the last time I can see her. Help was coming; they'd get here much faster than Eve's monster of a car. I go and give Claire a light kiss on her lips, that are white and rapidly becoming blue. But I still hear the faint drum. Claire was a fighter, she'd make it, and if she didn't, I'd shove the stake in my heart before Eve or Michael could.

I go to my room and take a duffel bag from my closet and I begin shoving clothes in along with weapons. I see the few pictures that I have sitting on my dresser and hesitate before grabbing a small one of all of us on the porch of the house. Claire's arms are wrapped around me from behind with her head peaking over my shoulder laughing while Eve sits next to Michael with his arm slung around her, we all look so happy.

I go to the front door as I hear the wail of sirens from down the street. I shove my feet into my boots and sling on my coat ignoring Eve and Michael's questions.

I walk out into the black night, and zip away vamp speed just as the ambulance screeches to a halt in front of the house. My feet pound on the sidewalk, thud, thud, thud, as I race away from my problems.

Then I realize something, if I wanted to I could just shove back all of my fears, worries, pain and regrets and replace them with hate, anger, revenge. It would be so good not to have to feel all of that, such a relief to be free from my past, to start anew.

So I do it, I force back all of my worries, fears, responsibilities, regrets, but along with them go all of the good feelings, the love I feel for Claire, the happy memories from when I was a kid and at the house. I desperately try to hold on to those feelings, those memories, they're the only thing that keeps me going, but they slide through my fingers like water. I distantly hear the voice from before, yelling at me, calling me an idiot, telling me to stop.

But this time, I don't listen; I let in my anger at the town that was slowly consuming everything good that came into my life, at my dad, at Monica, at that God damned vampire Henry who turned me. The happy thoughts seem light years away. It is so much better; I think to embrace the darkness. I grin into the night, showing my fangs, this was a new Shane, a better Shane, a Shane who didn't have things like love or friends and family getting in his way. No, I could do what I want, be who I want without any regrets or consequences. It felt good. I felt strong. Powerful. Able to face anything. I liked it.


	16. Chapter 16

**I've posted three chapter today people! C'mon review! And thanks to those who have! You get a cookie. So review or no cookie for you1 (Note: this is not a real cookie f.y.i in case some crazy person thought it was. Unfortunately, the wonder of technology has not yet made it possiblet osend cookies through the internet. Sorry :D)  
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**_Claire_**

I existed in a dream world, unable to escape. I like it here, it's warm, safe. Nothing could hurt me here, memories, emotions, pain. I never wanted to leave. Unfortunately, things didn't usually go my way.

"When's she going to wake up?" A voice drifts into the dream, fracturing it a little. I shrink away; I didn't want to go back to the cold, hard world where the voice came from. I remembered things there, I hurt there.

"I don't know, she lost a lot of blood, ten minutes later and…well I don't think she'd be here right now." It's another voice, closer this time.

"Claire, please come back." Claire? Was that my name? I couldn't remember anymore. And why should I go back? What did I want there?

"Claire, fy annwyl please wake up." A voice whispers and the dream shatters, I open my eyes as I feel cool lips press against my forhead.

"Shane?" I whisper, voice hoarse, remembering. But I look up to see Myrnin, his dark eyes filled with concern.

"Claire? Oh thank God!" Eve says rushing over and shoving Myrnin out of the way.

"Eve," Michael says coming up and gently pulling her away. "She just woke up, give her some space."

"What happened?" I croak, my throat sore and dry. Eve and Michael excahnge a worried look.

"Claire sweetie..." Eve starts seeming at a loss for words. "Don't you remember?" I stare at her a minute, confused and then I _do_. My eyes well up with tears as I remember the hurt, the confusion at seeing the stranger Shane had become, how he wouldn't stop, wouldn't snap out of it.

"Why? Why'd he do that?" I whisper and I hate how broken I sound.

"Something—something's not right with him Claire," Michael says looking troubled. "It's been different for him, harder for him then with most vampires from what I'm told. But we don't need to talk about this right now, you need to rest."

"When can I go home?" I ask, I realing don't like hospitals.

"The doctor said at least another day," Eve says, and when I begin to protest she continues. "Claire, you almost _died_. Shane almost _killed _you." I flinch away from her harsh words, even though I know they are true.

"Michael, please shut up your wife before I have to." Myrnin says coldly from the other side of the room, I had forgotten he was there.

"Eve," Michael says firmly. "You're making it worse and you're upsetting Claire. She doesn't need to deal with this right now."

"I know, I know," Eve says taking a deep shaky breath. "Sorry CB." She says turning to me with a wavery smile.

"It's okay," I say smiling back, although it really isn't. I hate when people talk about me like I'm not there. "Hey can I get some water?"

"Sure," Michael says. "Eve, come with me."

"But—" She protests.

"Please Eve." Micahel says and Eve complies, giving me another smile over her shoulder before heading out the door. Leaving me and Myrnin alone.

"How are you feeling?" He asks quietly still on the other side of the room.

"Never been better." I reply, although I feel like I've been hit by a bus.

"You shouldn't see him again Claire, he will kill you next time," I shake my head, not wanting to believe it, despite everything, he was still _Shane_. Suddenly, Myrnin is right next to the bed looming over me, his face dark and dangerous, aeyes cold and hard. "He is not the Shane you once knew and you know it Claire."

"It's none of your business Myrnin." I say, fighting to keep my voice from shaking.

"Well, who would I get to replace you as my assistant?" He says, words light although his tone is dark.

"Please Myrnin, not right now, I just want to sleep. I'm so tired." I say voice barely a whisper as I sink deeper into the pillows. His face softens and he lays a cool hand on my forehead.

"Alright, but please be careful. Stay away from Shane at all costs." And with that, he's gone. Vampire speed never ceases to amaze me.

"Where'd Dr. Crazy go?" Eve asks as they return in the room.

"He left." I say, speaking the truth.

"Here." Michael says holding a styrafoam cup with a bendy straw. When I try to sit up though, I immeaditly collapse agaisnt the pillows as a wave of exaustion and dizziness overtake me. So Michael gently bends the straw to my mouth while he holds the cup and I drink all of the cool quenching water in thirsty gulps.

"Thanks." I say when I wave it away. Just then, Dr. Mills walks in.

"Claire, I see you are doing better."

"Yep," I say with a smile, trying to look as healthy as I can. "So when can I go home?"

"Oh not for another day at least. You are much too weak and we don't want any further harm to come you by letting you move too quickly."

"Oh." I say, filled with dread at the thought of being alone in a hospital all night.

"I can stay with you!" Eve volunteers and I give her a greatful look. "This chair here reclines like all the way."

"What time is it any way? How long have I been here?"

"Oh about a day, it's almost eight p.m." Dr. Mills replies.

"I slept a _day_?" I asks surprised.

"Well, your body was quite exausted from all of the ah trauma you went through. You'll be fine in another couple days. Now, I suggest you get some more rest."

"But I just woke up!" I protest,suddenly full of energy again.

"Well, the more well rested you are, the sooner you can go home. I'll put something your I.V to help you sleep."

"That's really not neccessary—" I begin but he's alreayd walked over to it and injected something in.

"Now you'll have the best nights sleep you've ever had," He says with a smile. "Good night."

"Good night Dr. Mills," Michael calls. "Do you two need anyhting brought from home?"

"Jeans, and a T-shirt, oh and my hair brush and tooth brush." I say as my eyelids grow heavy, that medicine worked _fast_.

"Same here," Eve says. "Plus a pillow and blanket."

"Okay, I'll be back in a bit." Michael says turning to leave.

"Goodbye." I say, although my words are slurred so it sounds like "Gwabwy."

"Girl, you are so drugged." Eve snorts. It's the last thing I hear.

They let me go the next afternoon after sternly being told not to move off of my bed or the couch at all for the next three days at least and to come in if I felt weird. Eve drives me home and I am imeaditly sat down on the couch where she covers me in a million blankets and pillows.

"You need anything just ring CB." Eve says, handing me the remote, and she meant that literaly, she had given me a little silver bell.

"Will do," I say in reply. "Hey Eve?" I ask as she begins to leave.

"Yeah?"

"Do you—do you know where Shane went?" I ask, she stiffens.

"From what we can tell, he realized what he'd done to you, called 911, packed a bag and left. We haven't seen or heard from him since."

"Why—why do you think he did this?" I ask, choking up. "It just doesn't make _sense_."

"We've all known something was up with him," Eve says crouching down to look at me. "Maybe he just can't handle being a vampire. Don't worry, he's gone."

"They're not going to _kill _him are they?" I ask in horror as the thought dawns on me.

"I don't know," Eve says simply, looking especially grim in her full Goth makeup. "But if they do, he's not Shane anymore Claire. Not after what he did."

"He is Eve, I know he is!" I say resolutely. "We've just got to help him!"

"I just don't know Claire," Eve says walking away and shaking her head sadly. "I just don't know."


	17. Chapter 17

**_Shane_**

Surprisingly, it was easy to find other vampires, when I decided to look for them. I needed the outcasts, the weak ones that would easily follow me. To do what I intended, I would need a small army. We were going to rip this town to shreds.

I find a group of them, staying in an old warehouse on the outskirts of town, practically no one lived here. There are six of them, a good start. I walk into the building, letting the door slam behind me, announcing my arrival. I hear shouts coming from the other room and I grin in anticipation.

I hear someone, coming from my left and I leap before they can attack, toppling them to the ground. I see another coming quickly from the same direction so I slam my fist into my victim's snarling face knocking him unconscious.

The second comes at me, landing a solid blow to my stomach, good thing that I don't breathe anymore or I would have had the wind knocked out of me. I grin, showing my fangs as I put him into a headlock and toss him onto the ground.

The next four are just as easily dispatched and soon I stand before them as they cower on the ground beaten and broken. It had almost been too easy. It was amazing the power I could wield if I simply blocked out my emotions.

"I'm the leader of you all now," I declare, enjoying the way my voice echoes and booms off of the metal walls. "Who was in charge before?" I scan the disheveled bunch, there were four men and two women, I'd never encountered any of them before to my knowledge.

"Me. Adrian" Says the one who put up the most of a fight. He is hard looking man who looks to be in his mid-twenties with unruly black hair and piercing green eyes.

"You will be my second then." I say giving a nod in his direction. For a moment, it strikes me how much I've changed in so little time, an hour perhaps. The old me would have never done these things, said what I'd said. But he was dead as far as I was concerned, dead and buried, and I intended to keep it that way.

"You all live here then?" I am answered with a nod from the old leader. "For how long?"

"A year or two," Adrian says with a shrug. "Now if I can ask _leader_," He sneers. "What do you intend to do with me and my family? We keep a low profile here, we don't want any trouble."

"You can just call me Shane. And I intend to the exact opposite of what you're doing, we're going to turn this town upside down."


	18. Chapter 18

**Please review! :)**

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**_Claire_**

I listen to the doctors and rest up for three days, basically, all I can do is sleep. But after that, I make posters for Shane with his picture on them, offering a small reward for any information. There's a lot of false leads, people who just want the cash and nothing really concrete appears. Days pass, weeks, but I don't give up, I _can't _because if Amelie finds him first, I'm not sure that she'll let him live.

Eve says that it's almost better to hear nothing rather than something. Meaning that it's better that we haven't heard of him killing anyone then to hear that and know we've lost him for good. I can't believe that, I have to know that there's a possibility to get him back. Because that's all that's keeping me going, Shane was my rock, without him, I'd be left adrift in an endless sea. I know that probably seemed like melodramatic, teen drama but it was true. He was the one good thing I had in this town and without him; I'd be here almost completely alone, trapped forever. Because I knew by now that Amelie would never let me leave.

Eve and Michael try to make me rest get me to sit down and eat, but I can't. I have to follow every lead, no matter how ridiculous, because I'm his only hope. I know everyone else has given up on him.

Eventually though, I have to return somewhat to normal life. Classes can't wait forever and neither can work. I've received countless texts and calls from Myrnin and I know that it's only a matter of time before Amelie calls too.

I see Eve and Michael exchange relieved looks as I sit down and eat breakfast for the first time since…well I can't remember actually. Had it really been that long?

"So, Claire," Eve asks sounding nervous as she fidgets with her ring. "Where are you going today?"

"I have class and then work." I say, swallowing a mouthful of coffee, the one thing that had really kept me going these last few weeks.

"Really?" She asks, dark rimmed eyes widening in shock.

"Yes really," I reply slightly annoyed. "Have I been acting that weird?"

"Claire, you've practically been a zombie." Michael says his mouth a tight line of worry.

"That's a bit of an exaggeration Michael." I scoff.

"No it's not; you just shuffle around the house, staring at nothing when you aren't looking for Shane. You don't eat, you don't sleep. You've been worrying us sick Claire." Michael says sounding angry now.

"Sorry," I say softly staring into my coffee, wishing it held all the answers. "I didn't even realize what I was doing really."

"I _know _and that's what really worries me." Eve says looking concerned.

"Well I'm fine now," I say firmly standing up and slinging my backpack over my shoulders. They give each other identical looks of doubt. "Honestly guys, I am. I'll see you tonight." And with that, I walk out the door.

After class, I walk to Myrnin's past the Day house to see Gramma Day sitting on the porch. I wave, hoping to get away with just that, as I hurry off towards the alley.

"I haven't seen you 'round here in a while Claire." Gramma day asks walking up to the railing. "Lord girl!" She exclaims when she can see better. "What happened to you? You're bonier than a skeleton! You look half dead!"

"I was sick," I mumble looking at the ground and trying not to blush under her scrutinizing stare. Did I really look that bad? "I'm fine now."

"Yes, I heard about your "sickness"," Gramma says her face and voice as cold as stone. "But that was weeks ago!"

"Yeah, I just got the flu. Really I'm fine. Have a good day." I say as I turn to go, desperate to escape her seemingly endless barrage of questions.

"You should be resting Claire!" She calls after me. "Not going to see that ol' trap door spider!" I ignore her and head to the shack in the alley. I unlock the rickety, rotting door and head down the stairs.

"Myrnin?" I call into the dimly lit lab.

"Claire!" Myrnin says sounding delighted right behind me. I shriek and jump about a foot. "Oh, sorry my dear, I didn't mean to scare you." I turn around and glare.

"Well you did, I don't have vampire hearing Myrnin, you have to give me a little warning."

"Yes, yes," He says distractedly, and then he looks at me and his eyes go wide with shock and horror. "Claire, what on earth happened to you?"

"Why does everyone keep saying that?" I ask with a sigh. "I'm fine, honestly."

"You look anything _but _fine Claire," Myrnin says still sounding completely shocked. "Are you sure you don't wish to go home and rest?"

"No Myrnin, I said I'm fine and I am. Really. Don't you have some work or something for me to do?"

"Where's my boy?" A voice asks crackling out of all the nearby speakers as Frank Collins fuzzy, black and white biker image appears right in front of me, making me jump again.

"Frank," Myrnin says coldly. "Now is not the time. Leave. Now."

"No, I want _her _to tell me where my boy is," He looms over me and although I know that he's little more than a ghost, I flinch away backing right into Myrnin. "I can't see him on any of the cameras. What have you done to him? Where is he?"

"I—I don't know," I say, fighting back tears. "If I knew I would tell you. But I don't, no one's seen him in weeks."

"I don't believe you," He says leaning even closer, his face an inch from mine. Myrnin places a cold hand on my shoulder and gently moves me to the side so he can step up to Frank.

"Would you like to know the truth Frank?" Myrnin asks voice deathly quiet and freezing cold. "You're _son_ has nearly killed Claire twice now. The second time, he left and no one has heard from since. I say good riddance. He's not your son anymore Frank. Now _shut up before I unplug you_." Frank stares back him, looking shocked before he flickers away in a wave of static.

"I—I'm sorry." I whisper, gulping back tears.

"Whatever for Claire?" Myrnin asks hard face softening. "How was any of that your fault?"

"I don't know," I say miserably. "I guess—I guess I should probably go." I begin to head to the stairs, feeling even worse, but before I can even blink, Myrnin is right in front of me, and I mean there's like an inch between us.

"No Claire, you'll stay. You're going to listen to me." He says quietly, dark eyes unreadable as he steps closer, forcing me backwards.

"Myrnin, what are you doing?" I ask nervous and confused at how he's acting. This was so unlike Myrnin. What was going on? "Myrnin I need to go home." He continues coming towards me and I have no choice but to keep scrambling backwards, until finally, I'm backed into a wall and he stands there looming over me, putting a hand on either side of the wall, trapping me.

"Myrnin, I want to go." I say trying to keep my voice from shaking.

"Do you not care for me at all Claire?" He asks quietly, dark eyes boring into mine, and I'm unable to look away.

"Sure Myrnin, you're my _friend_. "I say firmly.

"Could you never feel something more for me? Shane is gone Claire, he will not come back." I stare at him, bewildered, was Myrnin saying he _liked _me? As in _like _liked me? When had this happened?

"Myrnin…" I start gently, not sure what to say. And then, he does the most surprising thing of all, he _kisses _me. I stand there a second, completely taken aback, and then, I try to push him away, but of course, I can't. So, I kiss him back. It's completely different from kissing Shane, Myrnin kisses me as if he'll never let me go, as if he can't believe that I'm there, like he's desperate for me to kiss him back, h e wraps me in his arms as if he'll never let go. It's not bad, just different. It's just so hard to believe that I'm kissing _Myrnin_. And that I kind of like it.

Finally, finally he pulls away, looking just as stunned as I feel. "Claire." He breathes, sounding amazed.

"Yes?" I ask, completely confused as to what just happened.

"You—you just kissed me did you not? I hope that that was not a dream?"

"A dream—? No, not at all."

"Thank God," Myrnin says sounding relieved, and then, he kisses me again, my lips, my cheeks, working his way down until his mouth hovers above my neck. "Claire, I know you do not love me now, but it could become that eventually, couldn't it?"

"Myrnin…" I say, unsure of where he is going with this.

"Claire, Shane is gone," He says bluntly and I flinch a little, even though he holds me tight in his arms. "No, listen, he is. I know it will take you time to—to get over him. But couldn't you be with me? Could you not love me Claire? I can give you forever to make up your mind; all you have to do is say the word."

"Myrnin…" I say again, helplessly, shivering as his cool breath continues to hit my neck. He bends down further and kisses me there and I feel the sharp pinpricks of his fangs. "No Myrnin," I say gently pushing him away. "I can't—I can't do this right now. I need to go." He steps back, releasing me, and I mentally sigh in relief.

"Alright Claire," He says quietly back to me. "You know where I'll be waiting." I almost, almost go back to him, wanting to comfort him. But I know now is not the time, so I pick up my backpack which had fallen somehow and I head up the stairs and into the bright day.

I almost don't believe that any of that happened, he was right, it seemed like a dream. I had never pictured myself being with Myrnin, and I had never fathomed that he felt anything for me. And I know that it was partially Shane keeping me from this. And now, now I think that maybe-maybe I _could _care for Myrnin more than a friend. And that caused a whole new set of possibilities and obstacles.

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**Yay, finally I wrote some Clyrnin! :D Sorry for the bad kissing scene, feel free to insert whatever you like there. And if you're a Claine fan, there might be more later. Maybe. **


	19. Chapter 19

**Thank you bekah-lauren'.D and NarutoRox for reviewing constantly! And to everyone else who has reviewed to, I really appreciate it! :) For those who haven't reviewed (and since I'm past 2,000 views I know there are plenty) please do review! I like to know that people are you know actually reading and liking my story and what they like/ dislike/how I can improve! Thanks! :)**

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**_Shane_**

Over the past couple of weeks, I've gathered quite a large number of followers, and even though only half of them are any good at well anything, I'd say I've done pretty well. About twenty to thirty. Almost all of them resent me so I've got to watch out for them, but a few, the weakest, seem relieved that they have someone telling them what to do.

I've seen my face plastered all over town by Claire, it's pathetic really, why would I bother with her, a measly human, when I have all this power? It was sad really, that she thought I stilled cared for her, that I'd go home, that the old me would come back. Nonsense.

We were stationed in the first warehouse I'd infiltrated, Adrian and his so called "family" had a pretty nice set up. Bedrooms, a kitchen, bathrooms, with showers, and large living room with a T.V that you could play video games on or watch movies with. It was important to keep the minions content, I had no time now for things like video games, they were a waste of time.

Adrian, who I'd made my second, was actually one of the more useful ones. Apparently, he was pretty old, around three hundred, and the only reason he was hanging around in this dump was because of a falling out with Amelie half a century ago. He was excellent at training everyone and coming up with tactics, I wouldn't have been surprised he'd fought and perhaps had started a war or two.

We'd spent all our time planning, training, and now, it was finally going to pay off. We'd start off small, leaving a dead body here and there, before working our way up to killing off vampires who refused to join us, then, we'd hit Henry. He was _mine _to kill; I'd enjoy making him suffer. After that, it was the Glass House gang; it would also be amusing to see the shock, the betrayal, the pain on their faces. Priceless. After that, the council, before finally, those S.O.B's Oliver and Myrnin, before Amelie. Then, we run the town.

It was simple enough, in theory, but I knew the vamps would put up a fight. It could very well be an all-out war, and I was perfectly fine with that. I'd revel in it, I felt no sadness at the thought of losing any of these pathetic followers, and I wouldn't mind destroying those who had thought they could control me.

"Should I send the first group out sir?" Adrian asks as he quietly approaches my desk located in what I had made my office.

"Yes," I say, with a cruel grin that I know would chill even further then the bone. "But tell them to be discreet about it. Runaways, homeless people, drunks, drug addicts. And no more than three, we don't want this escalating too quickly."

"I'll give the orders right away," He says with a nod, his green eyes obviously filled with hatred and contempt. A lot of these other vampires had been trying to live in peace and quiet, taking a little blood here and there and never killing, they resented that I was going to put them on Morganville's Most Wanted list. Did they expect me to care? "Is there anything else?"

"No," I say waving him away with my hand. "That's all, for now. Tell them to go and have fun."

"Of course." He says giving me a small bow, before leaving the room, but not before I see the sick horror in his eyes.

Oh yes, I was going to _love _this. I was like a little kid on Christmas, barely able to contain my excitement at seeing all the brightly wrapped gifts under the tree, just begging for me to rip them open. And the fun had only just begun.

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**I got so mad at Shane writing this! He's really gone totally evil! :) Do you think he will return to his old self...?**


	20. Chapter 20

**_Claire_**

My phone rings, waking me up from a deep sleep. I groan and roll over, silently begging it to stop. It doesn't, and once the ringing stops for a minute, it starts right back up. With a sigh, I groggily sit up and pick it up, blearily looking at the screen. To my surprise, it says it's Amelie. What could she want at three thirty in the morning?

"Yes?" I ask unable to keep the irritation from my voice.

"There were three murders last night." Comes Amelie's cool reply, jolting me awake.

"Well—"I start at a completer loss for words. "That's awful. But how does that pertain to me? And why did I need to be woken up in the middle of the night?"

"We have reason to believe that these were arranged by Shane. I assumed that you would like to know." I freeze, my heart seems to stop. _Oh no_.

"Wait," I say when I can finally talk. "You said arranged, not done by. What do you mean? You don't think he—he killed them himself?"

"There have been recent disappearances. Vampires, ones that not many pay attention to, but still, no one has heard from them in weeks. We believe that he may have joined them, perhaps he is even leading them."

"Wh-what? Why?" I asked completely bewildered.

"Because none of the others are capable of this. He has completely changed has he not? In this changed state, none of us can fathom what he is capable of."

"But-but why wouldn't he just do it himself?"

"I do not know. I only wished to inform you and to tell you to be careful."

"Why—do you think he's changed so much?" I ask fighting to keep my voice from breaking. "It's not usually like this for vampires is it?"

"No. No it is not like this at all. Perhaps it was the violence of his turning, how traumatic it was. But that is often the case. Most likely, it was his complete aversion to vampires, his loathing of them that caused this, he wasn't able to cope and he pushed himself too far. There is something vampires can do, turn off select emotions, fear, pain, regret, grief. But in turn, it takes away happiness, fond memories, and love. Leaving them with nothing but hatred, anger, and a thirst for revenge. It is nearly impossible to turn back on. I am sorry Claire, but Shane is gone."

"But—"I start again, but she's hung up. I put the phone down, trembling. I collapse onto the bed, sobbing. Amelie had just confirmed what I'd been told recently time and time again. I still desperately wanted to cling to that last strand of hope. But reality was quickly catching up on me, I couldn't deny it forever. No matter how much I wanted to.


	21. Chapter 21

**_Shane_**

I hear a sharp rap on my door and I look up, irritated that I'm being disturbed from my work. "What?" I snap when I see that its Adrian.

"I came to report on the mission sir." Adrian replies.

"And?" I prompt, my patience fast wearing thin.

"We were successful. How would you like us to proceed?"

"Excellent," I say with a manic grin. "And continue as I instructed you. Keep taking out small groups of unimportant people for now. In a couple days, we'll work our way up."

"I shall tell the others," Adrian says with a curt nod. "Is there anything else?"

"No." I say as a dismissal before looking back down at my papers. Once I know that he's gone, I smile to myself. Things were going perfectly. I was going to rule Morganville.

**_Michael_**

I was worried about Claire, Eve and I both were. She was more of a ghost than I ever was, just wandering around, looking vacant and lost. She claimed she was fine, but not knowing what happened to Shane was literally killing her. She just couldn't accept that he was dead, at least the Shane they knew was.

I look up from my coffee as Claire and Eve enter the kitchen, Eve looks like she's in shock, and Claire looks grim. "What happened?" I demand, worry growing.

"Amelie called this morning," Claire says quietly. "Apparently, Shane arranged three murders last night."

"What?" I ask, completely horrified and bewildered. "What do you mean arranged?"

"Amelie says that Shane—that he has gotten a group of vampire together, ones that not many people pay attention to, that he's—leading them, making them do things."

"But—why?" I ask. This just didn't make any sense, why wouldn't Shane just do it himself.

"I don't know," Claire says shrugging miserably, and Eve puts an arm around her in comfort. "Amelie says that vampires can turn off emotions like regret, sadness, but it turns off love and happiness too. All he has is hatred and anger left. Shane—Shane's gone." Claire chokes out eyes welling up with tears.

"Oh C.B!" Eve says wrapping her in a hug as tears spill out of her eyes as well. "It'll be okay!"

"No it won't." Claire says and I agree. I can't believe that _Shane _would have this done, but he's not our Shane anymore. It's almost funny how little it surprises me, how numb I am. I know that he's never coming back.

That night, I quietly knock on Eve's door, not wanting Claire to hear. She hadn't said a word all day after telling us about Shane. It was like she was locked up inside her own head, just staring out the window.

"Hey." Eve says opening the door and giving me a small smile.

"Hey," I say smiling back. "Can I come in?"

"Oh, sure," Eve says looking at me nervously. I come in and sit on a chair, Eve sits across from me on her bed, nervously fidgeting with her hands. "Are you sure we should do this? We need to be there to support Claire."

"Eve, we've been through this," I say gently. "We've been putting this off for months. We'll both be able to protect Claire then."

"Yeah but…" Eve trails off and bites her bottom lip, thinking.

"But what?" I ask, thinking I already know what she's going to say.

"What if I end up like Shane?" Eve asks quietly averting her eyes.

"You won't I say firmly," And when she still doesn't look at me, I walk over and tilt her chin up with my fingers making her look at me. "Hey, you won't. We both know that Shane had some serious problems. He had the idea implanted so deep in his brain that vampires were evil, wrong, that he couldn't accept it. It destroyed him. And, he didn't have a choice. You do, and if you don't want to do this right now, or ever, I respect your decision, because I love you." I say smiling and she gives me a weak smile back.

"It's just a lot to take in y'know? Eternity. With you. As a vampire. Of course I want to be with you Michael," She says earnestly taking both my hands in hers. "But can't it wait a while? I don't know if Claire can handle anymore right now."

"Of course." I say although my heart drops. I was beginning to wonder if she was going to put this off forever.


	22. Chapter 22

**Somehow when I posted, this chapter totally got screwed up, so don't read the next one until you reread this one, it cut out a bunch for some weiird reason. Sorry for the mess up.  
**

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**_Claire_**

I had been putting this off for a long time. Again. But I knew I couldn't avoid Myrnin forever. So one morning, I shoulder my bag and begin walking in the sweltering Texas heat.

I get to the alley without being interrogated by Grandma Day; I take it as a good sign. I climb down the steps in the shack that lead to the brightly lit lab; he tended to leave all of the lights on. He's nowhere in sight, so I plop my bag down by the stairs.

"Myrnin?" I call, and suddenly, he's _right _there. As in two inches in front of me. "Don't do that!" I say out of habit more than anything.

"Sorry," He says sounding anything but. "What brings you here today Claire?"

"Work," I say slowly. "What else would I be here for?" But I know. A light dies in his eyes and his face goes carefully blank.

"Of course," He says in a monotone that makes me cringe inwardly. "Then we have much to do. Come." And with that, he turns and heads towards the hidden trap door in the floor.

"Do we really have to go down there?" I ask, dreading it. You never knew what surprises Myrnin might have lurking down there. They generally were very unpleasant.

"I won't let anything hurt you," He says softening a little. He wrenches open the door which groans in protest. Then, he simply walks in, a fall like that wouldn't hurt a vampire. Tentatively, I approach the gaping hole; it looks like a black abyss ready to swallow me whole, never to be seen again. "I promise to catch you," Myrnin's voice calls up softly. "Jump." Everything in me was telling me that this was a very bad idea, but, I squeeze my eyes shut tight, take a deep breath and walk forward. There is a rush of air, my stomach drops, and I feel the horrible sensation of helplessly falling through the air.

It only lasts a second, and then I am enfolded in cool, strong arms that hold me close. His face presses into my hair and he holds me much longer than necessary. My heart pounds and I picture us staying this way, here together, forever. But now is not the time for these thoughts. He seems to know it too, for he pulls away, leaving me alone and cold. I'm glad that I can't see his face in the darkness.

I feel his hand fold around mine and we begin walking. Soon, we reach the brightly lit cave that holds the computer that controls and sees everything in Morganville. And he drops my hand, refusing to look at me. It is an insane mess of screens, strange things bubbling in tubes, wires, and oh yeah a _brain_. But it worked. Impossibly, against all reason like everything Myrnin made it worked. It was pure genius.

"Where's Frank?" I ask looking around for the crazy biker ghost that _was _the computer.

"I turned him off," Myrnin says shrugging. "He can't materialize, hear, say, or do anything unless I say so. He was becoming very annoying."

"Are you saying that the portals aren't working? That people can just leave town?" I ask trying to mask my excitement.

"For now," Myrnin says giving me a small, sad smile as if he can guess my thoughts. "But who will notice? That's the problem you see, Frank is too hard to control. We need another way to make the computer work."

"You are _not _putting my brain in there Myrnin!" I exclaim, growing cold. I can't even imagine how horrible it would be to be trapped in that machine _forever _unable to really do much of anything. I would go insane.

"I know!" Myrnin says quickly. "That's not what I meant!" I find it very hard to believe that. "We need to either find someone capable—"

"And willing." I say firmly.

"Yes and willing," Myrnin says rolling his eyes. "To control the machine. Or we need to find a way for it to work without a brain like we tried before, maybe a computer program?"

"But someone could hack it, put viruses into it." I say latching onto the idea, my thoughts flying a mile a minute.

"Well, what else do you suggest?" Myrnin asks giving me a small triumphant smile.

Hours, maybe even days later for all I know, we are no closer to a solution than before. Oh sure, we have some ideas, but there are always way too many flaws. But, I'm way too exhausted and caffeine deprived to function any more.

"Myrnin," I say tiredly, after he's finished a very animated story that I really didn't pay any attention to. "I'm exhausted, can't we work on this tomorrow?"

"Of course," He says looking concerned. "Are you going to be all right?"

"Yeah, "I say, giving him a confused look. "I'm just tired."

"Okay, I'll help you out. Take me hand," He holds it out and, after a moment's hesitation, I take it and he leads me back down the dark corridor. We stop after several minutes and he releases my hand, leaving me alone in the dark. Just as I'm about to begin panicking, he suddenly swoops me up in his arms, and I give a little gasp of surprise before wrapping my arms around his neck. "Hold on tight." He whispers, cold breath hitting my face. I squeeze my eyes shut, I feel him tense, and then he jumps, there's a rush of air again and then we're back on solid ground. But, he doesn't let go. I open my eyes to see him looking down at me, his curly black hair disheveled and hanging in his eyes, which stare down at me, dark and bottomless.

"Myrnin…" I say trailing off, unsure of what to do. He makes the decision for me, leaning down to kiss me. I don't even resist this time, I kiss him back. It's long and sweet, and when he pulls away, I know that I'm blushing. Gently, he places me on the ground again, giving me a grin.

"Claire..." He says and then hesitates, looking away.

"What?" I ask gently. "You can tell me."

"Would you—well I was wondering if…"

"If what?" I prod.

"Would you like to go on a date, as I believe they call it, with me?" I stare at him in shock, jaw dropping. That was _so not _what I had expected. After a minute of stunned silence, he looks away again. "It's alright if you don't. It was stupid to ask." He says sounding bitter.

"What? Oh no I would love to!" I say in a rush. "It's just that I'm so surprised, it doesn't seem like a thing you'd ask." I babel and then force myself to stop.

"How does dinner and a movie sound? Shall I pick you up?" He asks a light sparkling in his eyes that I love to see.

"It sounds great. And how about I meet you there?" I say, not able to forget past car trips with Myrnin. A four year old could probably drive better.

"My driving is not that bad!" He says indignantly.

"Uh yes it kind of is." I say smiling.

"Fine," He says sounding exasperated and blowing a dark curl out of his eyes. "How about I have a driver get you then? Say six thirty?"

"Sounds great." I say and I mean it. He gives me another light peck on the lips before I head up the stairs and into the alley.

How had things changed so quickly? I had a date, with _Myrnin_.


	23. Chapter 23

**STOOOOOOOOOPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP PPPP! IF YOU READ THE LAST CHAPTER BEFORE I FIXED IT, PLEASE READ IT AGAIN, A BUNCH OF IT GOT CUT OUT SOMEHOW AND YOU MIGHT BE CONFUSED IF YOU READ THIS CHAPTER BEFORE YOU READ THE LAST ONE AGAIN NOW THAT ITS FIXED! OH AND PLEASE REVIEW! :)**

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**_Claire_**

I walk down the stairs, nervously smoothing down my shirt. I was wearing a sparkly blue tank top type shirt with a short jean skirt, silver strappy sandals and I had a small flower shaped clip to pull back my hair. I'd even put on some makeup. I hoped it wasn't too much, or not enough. I honestly didn't know, I had never been on a date before aside from with Shane and he never officially asked me, it just sort of…happened.

"Where are you going?" Eve asks from the couch where she is lazily flipping through the channels. She turns towards me and her eyebrows rise. "Claire do you have a _date_?"

"You don't have to sound so surprised," I say a little harsher than I mean to. "Sorry, I'm just nervous. Do I look okay?"

"Yeah you look great. It's just…" Eve seems to think twice about what she was going to say and stops.

"Shane I know," I say doing my best to sound calm. "But I'm tired of being a zombie Eve. If he comes back, he comes back. I'll always love him and miss him, but I need to move on with my life. I can't just spend it waiting for him." I take myself by surprise, until that moment, I hadn't realized it, but that was true. I did need to move on. I was tired of my life revolving around finding Shane. It was his fault not mine. I wanted to be happy. I _deserved _to be happy.

"Okaaay," Eve says eyes wide. "So who's this guy that changed your mind?" I take a deep breath, knowing that she's not going to take this well.

"Myrnin." I say deciding not to sugar coat it. Eve's jaw drops.

"_What_?!" Eve shrieks. "_Myrnin_?! Seriously Claire? He's crazy!"

"Yes he is. But he cares about me Eve, he would never hurt me. He's not sick anymore."

"No _you're _sick!" Eve squeals. "He'll hurt you Claire! I know you're upset about Shane but this is insane!"

"Eve," I say, trying to remain calm. "It's my life. I'm able to make my own decisions. I know that you're trying to look out for me and I appreciate it, but you need to let me do what I want. It's just a date; we're not getting married or anything. So just chill."

"Chill?" Eve says blinking at me in surprise. "Did you really just say chill Claire?"

"Yes," I say exasperated with this conversation. I hear a knock on the front door. "I've gotta go Eve. Now _chill_," I say when she opens her mouth in protest. "I'll be fine." I say grabbing a cute little purse that matches my shoes perfectly.

I open the door to see Myrnin who is dressed surprisingly normal in dark jeans, boots, and a black T-shirt, the only odd thing is the bright red vest that totally doesn't match and is probably a hundred years old. But, hey, it was Myrnin, at least he wasn't wearing the bunny slippers. Although I wouldn't have been surprised.

"Good evening Claire," Myrnin says a little stiffly. "I hope that I'm dressed appropriately."

"You look fine Myrnin." I say giving him a reassuring smile. He looks relieved.

"Good, I'm never sure about these things," He says relaxing immediately. "You look lovely." He says with a smile.

"Thanks." I say, blushing. He then proceeds to hold out his arm like someone would do in an old movie, I Iace my arm through his. He leads me to a _limo _and he opens the door for me. I scoot in and he sits beside me, closing the door.

"When you said you'd have a driver, I thought you meant you'd get someone to drive your car for you," I say looking around the huge car. "There's only two of us, you really didn't have to do this."

"You don't like it?" He asks anxiously. "I could ask the driver to get my car for us; we do have him for the night."

"No, no Myrnin, its fine," I assure him giving him a smile. "So what movie are we seeing?"

"Some ridiculous vampire movie. It looks hilarious." I stare at him.

"That's supposed to be a _scary _movie Myrnin. Like the scariest one of the year."

"Really Claire?" He asks quietly. "After all you've seen an idiotic movie will scare you?" I look at him, surprised, but he was completely right. I had seen way too much to be scared of things like movies.

We get to the theater and sit down with our drinks and popcorn to watch the movie. He was right, it _was _completely ridiculous how they exaggerated the vampire's features and the actor's screams and looks of horror looked faked when I had recently been the one doing the running and screaming.

We smirk and analyze the movie, earning glares from people sitting nearby. I totally predict the ending, the hero and heroine stand kissing in the sunset after having eradicated the town of vampires before walking away hand in hand. A couple months ago, that couple could have been me and Shane. That puts me down a bit and Myrnin seems to realize that I don't want to talk, because he just quietly opens my door again and we ride to the restaurant in silence.

It's a pretty nice place and I feel a bit underdressed actually, but I sit down and just get water when the waiter comes by. As I stare at the menu without really seeing it, I can feel Myrnin looking at me. But I ignore it.

"Claire," He finally says quietly. "Is something wrong? Was it-was it something I did?"

"What? Oh no, you didn't do anything!" I say trying to give him a smile that I hope is reassuring. "I didn't mean to ruin the night."

"You didn't," He says and after another minute, "Is it Shane?" When I don't answer, he knows.

"If it's too soon for you to—go on a date with someone I understand." Myrnin says averting his eyes, but not before I see the hurt in them.

"No Myrnin, it's not that. I was just—thinking of some things. I'm sorry. I'll forget about it. I promise."

"Would you like to tell me about it?"

"I—I'm not sure if you'll like to hear it." I say not expecting this.

"Try me." He says resting his chin on folded hands, elbows propped on top of the table.

"Well you know how at the end the two main characters are standing together?" He nods, dark eyes wide, seeming to see everything. "I was just thinking how Shane used to always say that that would be us, leaving Morganville together. But—"I stop, eyes welling up with tears that I quickly wipe away. "But now I know that neither us will be able to leave, ever. It just hit me, you know? I mean I knew, but seeing it in the movie…." I trail off. "But let's not talk about that. I'm sorry; I really didn't mean to ruin the night."

"You didn't," Myrnin says again giving me a small smile with a strange look in his eyes that quickly disappears. "You can tell me anything, I don't mind. How is school going?"

"Good," I say, glad at the change of topic. "It's hard to believe that I'm almost done with it. I have no clue what I'm going to do after it."

"Well, what have you been thinking of?"

"I suppose I could continue school online, but I don't see much of a point. It's not like I need a ton of school to get a job around Morganville."

"Are you going to continue working for me?" Myrnin asks quietly.

"I guess," I say with a shrug. "I've never really thought of it honestly. I don't see why I wouldn't, but I guess I'd also like a more ah secure job."

"You mean one that doesn't put your life on the line?" Myrnin asks with an amused smile. "That seems reasonable."

"Yeah, I just have no clue what job I would want here. Speaking of work, have you figured out anything for the computers yet?"

He launches into some insane theory he has for the next twenty minutes. We debate back and forth over the pros and cons. It still wasn't perfect, but it was better than what we'd had before.

We eat dinner and he takes me home, the entire ride, we keep throwing ideas back and forth. When we pull up to the house, conversation stops. We stare at each other, neither of us sure what to do.

"I'll walk you to the door." He says finally. I reach for the handle, but he's out of the car and opening it for me before I can.

"Thank you." I say smiling. We walk side by side to the door in silence. Then, we just stand on the porch looking at each other, his dark eyes boring into my own.

"I had a wonderful time." Myrnin says quietly.

"So did I. We should do this again sometime," I say realizing that I really would like to. "I mean if you want to." I say blushing.

"Of course." Myrnin says grinning. I look back at him and the smile falls, leaving him looking intense and serious.

"Myrnin—" I say, but he cuts me off as he swoops down and his lips meet mine. I kiss him back, wrapping my arms around his neck as he wraps his around my waist, pulling me to him. It's sweet and slow, and the world disappears. Finally, he pulls away.

"Goodnight Claire." He says quietly, and he leans down to give me another light kiss on the cheek.

"Goodnight." I say softly smiling and watching him get into the car before I go inside. The second I close the door, Eve is right in my face, with Michael behind her. They both look equally worried and mad.

"Are you okay?" Eve asks urgently, her eyes scanning me, looking for possible injuries.

"Yes!" I say irritated. "The date went fine by the way."

"You do realize how dangerous he is, don't you?" Michael asks quietly.

"Not any more dangerous than you!" I snap and I see him flinch. I'm too mad to care much though. "Seriously guys, I know that you're just looking out for me, but stay out of my business. It's _my _life. I can do what I want. And Myrnin won't hurt me. He cares about me."

"But—"Eve protests as I head up the stairs to my room.

"Eve, just let it go." Michael says, and I can feel him looking at me the whole time.


	24. Chapter 24

**Please Review :)**

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**_Shane_**

My plan was working out perfectly. I had made them kill more and more people and the town was starting to notice. Amelie had mostly kept us out of the papers but not all. And when walking around town, I'd seen the growing fear and panic in their eyes. It was time to get Henry.

I had been keeping my hands clean. For some reason…I just couldn't. But I refused to believe that it was my conscience. That was ridiculous. It was simply that they couldn't arrest me for anything if I hadn't done anything. But now, I was going to take out Henry. I was going to make him pay.

We had slowly been taking out his followers, those closest to him. He had to be terrified. I couldn't wait to watch the light die in his eyes as I killed him.

I walk up the stairs that lead to Henry's apartment, grinning in anticipation. He has a pair of thugs guarding his door, leading me right to him. They both are huge, over six feat easily, and bulging with muscle. I can tell from the blank looks on their faces that they have way more muscle than brains. Easy.

I sneak up on the first one and swiftly jab the silver stake in, the gloves I wear protect me. His eyes widen in shock and horror as he clumsily tries to grasp the stake protruding from his chest. He falls to his knees and then slumps to the ground, his eyes rolling back into his head. Dead.

The second one isn't so easy; he lunges at me, punching swiftly towards my head. I duck and wrench the stake from his dead friend's chest. He lands a solid punch to my right eye, but I grit my teeth against the pain and kick my foot out at his knees making him topple to the ground.

"Please," He whispers as I stand over him, stake in hand. He trembles in fear. Pathetic. "Please." I plunge the stake in. His eyes widen, and his body arches upward once before he takes a last gasping breath. I stand up and kick the door in. The apartment is sparsely furnished; he obviously didn't plan to stay here long. I find him in the bedroom. The closet to be exact.

"Shane," He says grimly. He is dressed like some stupid cowboy wannabe from his hat to his boots. "I was thinkin it'd be you. I'm guessing that you're here to kill me."

"You don't seem surprised."

"I always thought you'd come after me," He says with a sigh. "Subconsciously, maybe I was even hopin for it. I can't stand livin without my Lilly. Just go on and finish me boy," He says tiredly. "I won't fight."

I stare at him. No. _No_. He _had _to fight. It was no fun otherwise. It wouldn't be satisfying.

"You better fight. Or I promise you I'll make it as slow and painful as possible."

"I ain't gunna fight you boy. Do what you like."

"No. You _ruined _my life. You _destroyed _me. You're going to fight." I say shaking with fury.

"Do you think that killing me will take away the hurt Shane? Do you think it will take away the ache, the emptiness inside of you? It won't. Believe me, I tried. You were my revenge Shane, and every day since I did this to you, I've felt worse and worse. Go ahead and try, it won't help you any. That's _my _satisfaction. "

"_You're lying_!" I scream with rage. "_Shut up_!" I see red and I rip the closet door off of its hinges, flinging it across the room. I reach in and grab Henry by the shirt collar and toss him by the discarded door. "Get up." I say kicking him. "Get up!" I roar when he doesn't move. I rip a silver knife out of my pants and slash him across the face with it. The skin bubbles where it touches. He winces in pain but still he doesn't move.

"Fight! Fight you son of a bitch! Why won't you fight!"

"I told you why," He says infuriatingly calm. "Do what you want, but I won't fight you. I'm ready to die."

I slam my boot into his chest and I hear ribs crack. Henry groans and rolls over, closing his eyes. Why wouldn't he fight? I was tired of all his "you'll realize soon enough" shit. I was going to kill him. Why didn't he care? I plunge my knife into his stomach up to the handle. Blood pours out as the skin sizzles.

"Just fight me back already! Don't you realize that I'm going to _kill _you?"

"I do," He says face tight with pain. "In fact I'm counting on it. So do it."

"I will!" I shriek as I flash across the room and grab the stake. I hold it over him, hesitating. He coughs up blood and grins, his teeth are stained with it.

"Finish me boy."

"Rot in hell you son of a bitch!" I say and plunge the stake in.

"I'll see you there soon enough." He gasps. Henry's body arches, once, twice, before he spits up another mouthful of blood and his head lolls to the side. The light dies in his eyes, leaving them blank. I stare at him.

The stake clatters to the floor. I stand up, feeling strange. Empty. If I could have, I would have taken it all back. I wouldn't have killed Henry. Because he was right. I felt no satisfaction in his death. And, no matter how hard I tried to forget it, it hurt, the loss of everything good in my life. Despite everything, it still hurt. For a moment, I felt like my old self, I ached, I was empty. What had I just done? Then it was gone, and I was the new me again, though the emptiness remained.


	25. Chapter 25

**Hey, sorry I haven't written for a few days but I've had to study for semester tests. Yuck. But its a snow day tomorrow so I can write. Yay! :) Thankyou everyone who has reviewed. And please continue to do it, I appreciate the feed back. Happy Holidays! *= =}- (I guess that's a menorah. I know it doesn't have enough candles but whatever) :P**

**Claire_**_

"Hello?" I say picking up the phone, confused. It's the land line that's rung, and no one's called on that well ever. That and its twelve o'clock at night.

"Claire," A cool crisp voice says. It's Amelie and that surprises me even me more that she didn't just call my cell.

"Yes?" I ask warily.

"Shane has killed Henry, his maker. We believe he may be coming after you next. You must be careful." The line goes dead. I stare at it, numb with shock.

Shane had _killed _Henry? As far as I could tell, one vampire killing another was one of the highest crimes in Morganville. And Shane was most definitely not a favorite among the vampires. That meant—that meant that they could _kill _Shane. The phone falls from my hands and clatters to the ground.

"Claire?" I distantly hear Eve say voice filled with worry. "Claire are you okay? What was that noise?" She is suddenly right in front of me, face anxious.

"Amelie was on the phone. It's Shane—"I say and trail off. Eve grabs my shoulders and shakes me.

"What about Shane? What the hell happened Claire?"

"He—he killed the vamp that turned him. Henry. Amelie thinks he'll be coming after us. Me. They could kill him Eve." I finish, my eyes finally brimming with tears.

"Oh—oh no," Eve says eyes wide. "Oh _shit_," I can't hold it back anymore, I burst into tears. "Oh Claire, oh Claire don't cry!" Eve says enveloping me into a tight hug. "It'll be alright. We'll get out of this somehow."

"How?" I sob pushing her away. "How Eve? How many times can we get lucky and win? One day, this town is going to beat us, and we'll end up dead." I finish flatly and turn to race up the stairs.

"Claire!" I hear Eve call behind me. "Claire wait!" I ignore her. I had just realized the truth. We couldn't always win. And it seemed like there was no way that everyone I cared for would make it out of this alive.

_**_Eve_**_

"Michael?" I call softly, lightly knocking on his door. I had come free of Goth makeup- in a simple T-shirt and jeans, I knew he liked seeing me this way. A few seconds later, he appears looking like he just woke up. His bleary eyed look quickly evaporates when he sees the look on my face.

"Eve, what's wrong? What happened?"

"Amelie called and—and she told Claire that Shane has killed the vamp that turned him. She thinks that he'll come after us next. Claire—Claire thinks that they'll kill him," I say voice breaking. "Claire doesn't think we're going to win this one Michael. She says our luck has run out." I finish in a whisper, looking at the floor.

"Eve—" Michael starts to say and then he simply wraps me in his arms, I relax against him, fighting off tears.

"I never thought that Claire of all people would give up. But she _has _Michael and if Claire's given up, if she sees no hope, what chance do the rest of us have?"

"Eve, it'll be alright," Michael soothes, his face pressed into my hair. "We'll figure it out, we always do somehow."

"But what if Claire's right?" I ask looking up into his fierce blue eyes. "What if our nine lives are up and this is it? What if—what if not all of us make it?"

"So are you saying we should just give up?" He asks face carefully blank, stepping away and crossing his arms. "Should we all just sit down and wait to die Eve? Is that what we should do?"

"No!" I say in horror. "No! That's not what I'm saying at all Michael. I'm saying—"I pause and take a deep breath. Michael looks at me, waiting. "I'm saying that we need to make our chances of survival as high as we can. Michael I—I want you to turn me. Now. Tonight."

"Are you sure this is what you really want?" Michael asks eyes wide. "This is not a decision to be taken lightly. You shouldn't do this out of fear Eve. You'll end up regretting it. And you'll have a very long time to consider those regrets."

"I'm sure," I say although I'm not, not in the least. I know he can hear the rapid beating of my heart, can see just how petrified I am. "You talked to me about it remember? The pros and cons. I had to talk to Amelie for you to get permission to do this. I'll admit that I'm doing this right now because I'm scared. I'm scared for myself, for you, Claire, Shane, the whole town. I know that if I'm—if I'm a vampire I'll have a better chance of surviving this and of helping those I care about. I would do this even if our lives weren't in danger. And let's face it, when aren't they? I would wait a while longer; make sure this whole marriage thing works out if I could. But, I don't have time for that. I'm doing it because I love _you_ Michael," I say giving a small, shaky smile and grabbing both his hands in mine.

"It's not like I really, really want to be a vampire. I'd rather not be if I could. But you are one. And nothing will ever change that. And I want to be with you forever, no matter what. So please Michael, please just do it." I finish, trembling and with tears in my eyes.

"Are you really sure Eve?" Michael asks, staring so deep into my eyes, it's as if he can see my thoughts, see my _soul_. He gently wipes away a tear with his thumb. "Amelie said she gave permission so long as I did it somewhere private where no one would see or get hurt. But you have to be _sure _Eve. One hundred percent sure. You can never take this back. _Ever_."

"Yes," I whisper. "I'm sure. Just get it over with." I look back up and I see a strange, deep sadness etched on his face, but he quickly masks it, and leads me into his room, our hands still clasped together and he gently brings me to the bed, where I practically collapse from shaking so hard.

He cups my face in his hands and kisses me, hotly, desperately and I cling to him, knowing we are both afraid. Knowing that this could go horribly wrong and that he could kill me. Or I could become a monster.

This was almost a goodbye kiss, bittersweet. I knew it was to be my last kiss as a human. The last time vampire Michael kissed human Eve. The last time I was this person, for I knew without a doubt that I would change; for the better or for the worse, only time would tell. I'm saying goodbye to my humanity, and I cry but Michael kisses away the tears, holding me fiercely to him.

And when his kisses trail down my face, to the side of my neck and his breath hits there, light and cold, making me shiver I know that it's time. Time to say goodbye, although I really wish I didn't have to.

"Do it." I whisper, squeezing my eyes shut tight against the future. His lips touch my skin and gently kiss the spot. Then, I feel the sharp pinpricks of his teeth an instant before they sink in.

I gasp at the initial pain and then sink into his arms. He clutches me tighter, as if he'll never let go. Strange that I feel so safe as my life is being drained away. I feel myself growing weaker, and he pulls away.

"I can still stop Eve; you'll be fine in the morning if I don't take anymore." He says breathlessly.

"No Michael. Please just finish it." I whisper, not even opening my eyes. He hesitates, before he drinks again. I feel myself slipping. The world is becoming distant. It's almost as if I'm in a dream.

"I could take you to the hospital now and you'd recover." He says pulling away a second time as I begin to lose consciousness.

"No." I say my words barely more than a breath of air. I seem to lose track of time for a little bit, I'm just floating away.

"Eve," I hear someone say urgently. Was that my name? Eve? I couldn't seem to remember…"Drink." Something is thrust to my mouth and a warm liquid pours in. It's like nothing I've tasted before, salty and bitter and laced with power. I don't like it and I try to turn away, but I'm held firmly in place. The liquid keeps coming and coming and so I have no choice but to swallow or I know I'll suffocate.

It freezes my throat despite how hot it is in my mouth. The arctic cold travels through my body, freezing everything in its path. It's the worst pain I've ever felt; it freezes me to my soul it seems. I try to squirm away and I hear myself scream. I feel a sudden warmth, easing the chill, and I relax, hoping it's over. Then, an even worse pain erupts, a blazing inferno that incinerates me into billions of pieces. I know I'll go crazy if I can't escape it. Then, the cold settles back in, but this time, it's pleasant, easing the burning, seeping gently into my core.

My eyes flash open and I can see _everything_. The clarity of it all is astounding. I can see every minute detail of the person beside me, all of the little cracks in the wall. I can hear the distant ticking of a clock; I can smell the dusty wind out the window. I can feel every fiber in the blanket beneath me. It's _amazing_.

"Hurts." I say softly, in pain to the boy in front of me as a dry burning encases my throat. "Make it stop."

"Wait right here." He says, face filled with concern. Who was he? Why couldn't I remember? But he's gone suddenly and I'm all alone. Was I not supposed to follow him? I couldn't remember. But I wanted to. I walk up to the door and grab the handle, marveling at the smooth coolness of the metal as I turn it.

But stepping out into the hall is painful. I cringe away from the harsh lights that hurt my eyes. It was so _bright_. Why was I here again? Suddenly, I hear a distant drum beat. _Da-dum. Da-dum. Da-dum. _I wonder where that was coming from?

"Eve!" I hear a voice call in alarm and a strong arm firmly grabs me and pushes me back into the wonderfully dark bedroom.

"Hurts." I whisper again, my throat feeling like it's filled with burning sand.

"Shh," He soothes. "It'll be okay. Here ." He gently puts something into my hands. A bag, filled with red stuff. Koo-Aid…?

"What is it?" I ask confused.

"Here." He says giving me a small smile as he makes a slit in the bag with his finger nail. Then, the smell hits me. It's deliciously sweet, and somehow I know I need it to live now. That it's simply _life. _

I feel something sharp indent my lower lip on either side and I reach up to tentatively touch one. They were _my _teeth. How strange. I let out a little laugh. Then, the bag distracts me again and I raise it to my lips in wonder. I flick my tongue out to taste it, and quickly begin to guzzle it all down.

It quenched the flames in my throat. It made me feel stronger, faster, and more alert. It was strange, salty, sweet, bitter, hot, and cold all at once.

I quickly finish it, and then I _remember_. Oh God, I was a _vampire_. Trembling, I sink to the floor. It was just too much.

"Hey," Michael says quietly sitting down beside me, and wrapping me in his arm, rocking back and forth. "Eve its okay. It'll be okay." I just wished I could believe him. What the hell were we going to tell Claire?


	26. Chapter 26

**Merry Christmas Everyone! :D Travel safe and have a fun break! :) Please review! :P**

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**Claire_**_

Eve and Michael didn't know it, but I'd heard Eve's screams and I somehow knew what they meant. Maybe, it was because they sounded almost identical to the one's Shane had made when he'd been turned.

I had to move, get away. I couldn't live here with me being the only living person. I was right, Frank and Shane were right, the town was taking us one by one, and I was the sole survivor. I intended to keep it that way.

It hurt, that Eve hadn't talked to me about this, hadn't told me about her life changing decision. But I couldn't think about that right now. I was done with them. It was too risky, by staying here, I could lose my life, or become a vampire, or, worst of all, my heart could get broken again although right now it was barely held together. I couldn't stand it, couldn't stand to lose someone else.

So, without even confronting them, I packed my things. I could live in the dorms until I graduated and after that, I'd find an apartment or something. I go to the painting in the hallway and push the button beneath, revealing the hidden stairs. I would sleep up there tonight, it would feel safer. I curl up on the old Victorian couch and drift off to sleep.

The next morning I get up around six before Eve and Michael would be up, and I call the only taxi in Morganville.

"What?" He snaps. "It's six in the morning!"

"I know, I know. I'll pay you triple, plus a tip." With my pay from my job at Myrnin's I could afford it. It wasn't like I ever really bought anything besides groceries.

"Fine. I'll be there in half an hour." He hangs up. I sigh in frustration, glaring angrily at my phone; I wanted to be out of here as soon as possible. But I carry my few boxes out to the deck and wait, watching the sun rise. It was actually really beautiful, the diverse mix of reds, purples, yellows and oranges. I rarely had time to just sit and watch the world around me like this. It was a shame I couldn't really enjoy it, there were too many thoughts rushing through my head. None of them are particularly pleasant.

The cab pulls up, forty-five minutes later. Then, he _honks _the horn. Shit, that was bound to wake Eve and Michael up. I needed to hurry. I quickly load my boxes up into the trunk and hop in.

"Campus office." I say as he peels off, tires squealing.

"You couldn't have walked?" He grumbles, glaring at me in the mirror.

"You couldn't have been on time?" I shoot back and he scowls, shutting up.

"Two hundred." He says, thrusting his hand out as I take out my last box and shut the trunk.

"One fifty and no tip. You were late and rude." I say, surprised at my audacity. Usually, that was what _Eve _would say. Not me, not polite, quiet Claire. I guess everyone was changing. I walk away at his protests after handing the money to him.

"Yes?" The kind looking elderly woman at the front desk asks. "Can I help you dear?"

"Is it too late in the year to get a dorm room? I'll take anything."

"Actually, you're in luck. We just had a student drop out yesterday. They had a pretty big room too; you'd get it all to yourself."

"When can I move in?"

**_two weeks later_**

Things were going great; I had a huge room and everyone in the dorm was really nice. I was actually making friends. It was nice to talk to _normal _people for a change. People who knew nothing about the dangers lurking in Morganville.

Michael and Eve called and texted constantly, I ignored it. I had sent one quick text telling them I was living in the dorms and that I knew what happened and didn't feel like living with or seeing them right now. I also hadn't been going to work at Myrnin's, he called too, left worried messages, and I didn't talk to him either. We had gone on a couple dates after the first, before all of this had happened, but I just couldn't deal with him right now. I wanted to be a normal teenager for a change.

"See you Alex." I call down the hall, waving as I enter my room. I flip on the lights, set down my bag, and freeze. Because _Shane _was there, sitting on my bed.

"Hey Claire." He says with a grin, sounding exactly like the old Shane, but his brown eyes are cold.

"Shane," I breathe in disbelief. "How-how did you find me?"

"I've had your blood remember? I can find you anywhere in the world, whenever I want," He says standing up and advancing towards me. I scramble backwards and bump against the door, reaching for the doorknob. "Ah-ah-ah," Shane chides, wagging his finger like he's reprimanding a child. "You don't want to do that. I have people all around the building, if I say the word; they'll rip every single person's throats out."

"What do you want?" I ask, standing tall and looking him right in the eye, not letting him see my growing fear.

"You of course! I need to finish cutting ties with my old life before I rule the town." He says grinning again.

"What do you mean cut ties?" I ask, although I know exactly what he means. Shane was going to kill me. I turn cold.

"You need to die Claire," He says reaching a cold hand up to stroke my face, his touch makes my skin crawl. "It's nothing personal; not really, I just can't have anything bringing the old me back."

"Why not Shane?" I whisper, hoping that I've found something that can get me out of this. "Why would that be so bad?"

"It just would be," Shane says, but I see uncertainty pass over his face. "It's none of your business why."

"Do I remind you of who you used to be?" I say, not stopping. "Do I remind you of your past, the hurt, the pain in your life? Everyone has that Shane. You just have to face it. I _forgive _you Shane. Please, just stop this and come home." For a second, I see the old Shane, the Shane I once loved, but then the ice quickly comes back, making his face hard and cruel.

"_Shut up_!" He hisses and slaps my face so hard my heads whips to the side and slams into the wall. My head spins and I raise a trembling hand to my stinging cheek in shock. Shane had _never _hit me. I slump to the floor beside the door and he advances towards me. This was it; he was going to kill me. Funny how that really didn't surprise me.

"Get up," Shane says quietly. "Get up!" He shouts, kicking me hard in the stomach and knocking the wind out of me when I don't. He grabs me by the front of my shirt and yanks me off the floor, tears well up in my eyes as I try to gasp in air. That's when the door flies off its hinges and smashes into pieces against the opposite wall.

"_Get your hands off of her_!" I hear someone roar in pure fury and I twist my head to see Myrnin, his eyes blazing red. Shane drops me and I fall to the floor, landing painfully.

"I always knew you wanted her leech," Shane leers. "So it's like that between you two now? I'm gone ten minutes and you're together, or were you doing it behind my back you little bitch." Myrnin snarls and flashes forward, a moving blur as he grabs Shane and throws him at the wall beside the demolished door.

Shane leaps up immediately and is on Myrnin in a second, slamming him into the ground. I hear boards break and I fear that they'll fall through. Myrnin kicks him off and Shane flies into the celling and plaster rains down, coating everything in an artificial snow.

"Claire," Myring snarls, landing a punch to Shane's face. "Get out of here!"

"No!" I yell back. "I can't leave you here alone!"

"Claire we don't have time to argue!" Myrnin says, making the mistake of turning towards me and Shane lands a kick to his ribs, Myrnin grunts in pain. "Call Amelie! Tell her to bring back up!"

"But—"I protest.

"_Claire go_!" Myrnin shouts and I stand up, wobbling unsteadily as a wave of dizziness overtakes me and I stumble into the hall. I pull my phone out of my pocket, hand shaking.

"Amelie, we've found Shane, he's tried to kill me, and he says he'll kill everyone here, Myrnin is trying to fight him off. I'm at my dorm. Hurry." I say the instant she answers. I know that she knows exactly where my dorm is. Suddenly, Shane comes flying through the open doorway and crashes into the opposite door, knocking _it_ over. I hear the people in the other room scream before they rush out the door.

"Hurrry!" I tell them as they stand in the hallway looking frightened and confused. "Get out of here! Knock on as many doors as you can and tell everyone to get out!" They stare at me bewilderedly a moment before they nod and hurry down the hall, pounding on doors and yelling as they go. I follow them, as I see Shane begin to get up and start coming towards me.

As I turn the corner, a hand shoots out and grabs my shoulder, stopping me. I stifle a scream and turn to look at my possible attacker. It's a vampire, he's tall, with black hair and bright green eyes, and he looks to be in his mid-twenties. He holds a finger to his lips, signaling me to be silent.

"I wish to help you," He whispers. "Follow me." He turns and heads off down the hall, stepping into the stairway. I hesitate, should I really follow him? This whole situation screamed danger. But what did I really have to lose? I quickly go after him into the dimly lit stairway, I can barely see him.

"Who are you?" I demand, looking nervously around.

"That doesn't matter," He replies quietly. "What _does _matter is that I know Shane's plans."

"How do you know that?" I ask taking back a step.

"I work for him, he made me his second in command," He says simply. _Shit_. I turn to bolt out the door but his hand flashes out and grabs my arm tight. "Wait! I don't want to work with him, I have to! He took over my family, he and the few that _are _loyal to him will kill me if I leave! I want to help you, like I said."

"That can't be all you want." There was always a catch. He releases my arm and I take a giant step away from him.

"You're right, it's not. I want you to get me and my family free from punishment. Amelie will never listen to me, we had a ah falling out a few centuries back, that's why I'm an outcast. We really didn't want this, and none of my family, including me, actually ever broke any laws. So, I'll tell you Shane's plans once you get us free. As in out of Morganville."

"I-I don't know if I can do that," I say completely bewildered. "I really don't have as much sway in Morganville as everyone seems to think. I'll do what I can. Thank you."

"My pleasure," He says with a nod. "Now, I really must be going before Amelie gets here. Just tell her that Adrian wishes to see her." And with that, he melts into the darkness shrouding the stairs. I stare after him a minute, baffled, before I hurry back into the hall. I get there just in time to see a couple of Amelie's thugs dragging an unconscious, beaten Shane between the two of them.

Amelie herself stands supervising, looking utterly calm and put together. There's not a single wrinkle or spot on her immaculate white shirt and pants, there's not a single hair out of place, obviously she had let others do the fighting for her. Standing next to her is Oliver, still in his hippie disguise, looking as cold and hard as ever.

"Claire," Amelie greets me icily. "How is it that you and your friends are always in the middle of these problems?"

"Bad luck." I say, not bothering to be polite.

"That always seems to be the case," She says with a nod. "Come Oliver, we are leaving. There is much to do." And with that, they turn the hall, followed by the remaining thugs, and disappear.

"Wait," I call down the hall. "Is Myrnin okay?"

"I'm right here," He says, suddenly at my side. His clothes are torn, his hair a tangled mess, and there are fading bruises and cuts all over him, but he was going to be alright. I'm surprised at how much relief I feel at knowing that. "And I'm fine. Where did you run off to my dear? Are _you _alright?" I had been so caught up in everything, I had totally forgotten about my injuries, but now I could feel the ache in my ribs and the pounding in my head.

"I'm just sore. It would have been a lot worse if you hadn't shown up."

"Regardless, I think you should see a doctor, just to be sure." Myrnin says eyes scanning over me worriedly.

"Maybe," I say with a shrug. "How did you find me anyway?"

"The same way Shane found you." He says quietly averting his eyes. I look at him confused for a second, and then I remember.

"_Ooohhh_," I say slowly. "Because you've had my blood."

"Yes," He says nodding curtly, still not looking at me. "I was worried about you. You haven't responded to anyone's calls or messages. You were dead for all any of us knew."

"I'm sorry; I didn't mean to worry anyone. Didn't Eve and Michael tell you?"

"Tell me what?" Myrnin asks, finally looking up at me, brown eyes flashing dangerously. "That you were upset that Eve became a vampire without your consent so like a child you left instead of facing your problems?"

"It wasn't like that!" I insist weakly, although now I can see his point.

"Wasn't it?" He asks stepping closer making me step back. "Why did you also cut off contact with me as well Claire? Do you not know how worried I was, how worried we _all _were? Quite frankly, this was incredibly selfish of you Claire."

"I couldn't _stand _it anymore!" I practically shout, vision clouded with tears. "I didn't want to have to deal with this anymore Myrnin! The biggest problems for most kids my age are fights with their parents and boyfriends and their grades! Why do I have to deal with all of this? I just wanted to have a _normal _life for once! And I'm sorry that I worried and upset people, I didn't mean to, but I'm tired of my life always being on the line and having to save the day. I'm tired of always being scared. I'm just so tired of everything Myrnin." Myrnin gazes at me a moment, his eyes dark and bottomless, then he folds me into his arms and I collapse against him, sobbing. I hadn't really admitted it to myself or anyone till then, but it was true. It had just built and built until I _had _to let it out.

"Shh, my little bird, fy annwyl, it will be all right." He sooths, stroking my hair gently.

"No it won't be," I sob miserably. "It never is. Just when things are fine, everything goes wrong."

"Claire," He says tipping my chin up with his finger and making me look at him. "I promise you that we will get through this. Do you believe me?"

"Yes." I whisper, looking away, although I really don't.

"Claire, look at me. You trust me don't you?"

"Yes," I say looking him right in the eyes. "I trust you Myrnin."

"Good," He says stepping away and smiling. "Now, we better have you looked at."

The doctor clears me after an x-ray and an MRI, concluding that my ribs are just bruised and that I don't have a concussion. Although, I'm starting to get a nice, livid, purple bruise in the shape of Shane's hand on my cheek and I'll be really sore in the morning. Myrnin protests when I say that I'm going back to my dorm, but he eventually gives in and begins to walk me back.

"Oh no," I groan, when we're half way there. "I have to go talk to Amelie."

"Talk to Amelie?" Myrnin asks looking down at me puzzled. "Why do you need to do that?"

"Long story, but I promised someone I would."

"Who?" Myrnin asks, stopping, crossing his arms and frowning.

"I didn't exactly get a name," I say, hesitant to tell him. "He-well Shane apparently took control of his family and Shane made this guy his um second in command. He's willing to give up all of Shane's information and plans if Amelie lets him and his family leave Morganville without punishment. Apparently, Amelie won't listen to him because they had a fight forever ago so he wants me to try and convince her to let them leave."

"What did this man look like?" Myrnin asks, looking grim.

"He had black hair and green eyes; I guess he was twenty something. Why, do you know him?"

"Oh I know him all right. Adrian. He's dangerous; you should stay away from him Claire."

"But he says he'll give up all of Shane's information!" I protest. "I don't really think that Shane will ever tell them that. Besides, I'm only talking to Amelie, it's not like I'm helping him get free."

"Amelie and Adrian have a ah very large history together. Most of its unpleasant. I do not know how Amelie will react to even hearing his name."

"But I have to try!" I say, utterly frustrated. "People's lives could be at stake! Adrian said that some are loyal to Shane, or they at least have the same goals as him, who knows what they'll do! Maybe they'll try to break him out."

"But Claire—" Myrnin starts, I cut him off.

"Sorry Myrnin, but I have to. I'll see you later. Thanks for walking me home." I say turning around, leaving him standing there looking bewildered.


	27. Chapter 27

**Happy New Year! Aren't you all glad the Mayans were wrong? Please review! :D**

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**_Shane_**

I'm led by a vamp that looks seriously pissed off with a huge jagged scar going diagonally from his right eyebrow to the left side of his chin and he's wearing a scowl. I know I'll be going to the normal vamp cell at the jail before they probably take me to that huge maximum security place they held Jason at. Sure enough, as I'm dragged out of the car (those guys could seriously hit) I'm at the regular old jail.

"Get up, you piece of trash." Snarls his buddy nailing a solid kick to my ribs. I refuse to wince.

"I can't if you keep doing that." I say baring my bloodstained teeth in a most definitely not nice smile.

"It's not worth it Jerry," Mr. Scarface says looking at me in disgust. "Let's just dump him here and go. We don't want any trouble with the Founder."

"Jerry?" I ask with a smirk. "Really? A vampire named _Jerry_?" It's really not the most stupid vamp name I've heard; I'd met one named Candy. I just want him distracted so I can get away. Jerry snarls and starts coming towards me, eyes flashing red.

"Jerry!" Barks the first. "Cut it out. He's not worth the trouble. Jerry shoots daggers in my direction with his eyes but he complies, grabbing my left arm while Scar grabs my right and they then proceed to roughly drag me into the jail, taking every opportunity to ram me into something.

Finally, they toss me into the cell and slam the door shut. Jerry spits at me and it lands right on my face. I just wipe it off and grin like a maniac.

"Don't I get one phone call?"

"Shut up." Scar says face expressionless.

"Yeah, you've caused this town enough trouble," Sneers Jerry. "Now, you get to sit and rot here for a century or two before the Founder remembers you're here. Have fun. "They turn and walk down the dark corridor.

"Oh I will." I say under my breath, giving a small smile.

**_Two Weeks Ago_**

"Boss," Adrian says rapping on the door frame. "Someone is here to see you. He says you're going to want to hear this."

"Who is it?" I ask irritated at being interrupted from my work.

"Hiya Shane," Jason says suddenly appearing in the door way. "Did ya miss me?" Adrian has disappeared like a ghost.

"Not really," I say glaring. "What do you want Jason? Are you here to report me to Oliver?" He was dressed in a dirty black T-shirt, leather jacket and jeans, he looked as greasy and dirty and shifty as ever, but now his skin was even paler and his eyes were even more heartless.

"No. Just because he turned me doesn't mean I _want _to be loyal to him. It just means that I _have_ to. If he's dead, that's not really going to be a problem is it?" Now he had me interested.

"What are you proposing?"

"You see Shane, now that you've joined the vamp club, you and me are a lot alike—"

"_We _are nothing alike." I say cutting him off and looking at him with disgust.

"Whatever," Jason says rolling his eyes. "We have the same goals then alright? We both want to rule Morganville. Make me your right hand man when it's all done and we've won, and I'll do anything you ask. Oh, and you have to help me kill Oliver. "

"That's all?" I ask raising my eyebrows. There had to be a catch. "Nothing else? How do I know you aren't still loyal till Oliver?"

"_Please_," He says rolling his eyes again. "I was never loyal to Oliver. Who in the hell likes him? He just helped me get what I want. And now I'm done with him and _you_ can get me what I want. So what do you say, is it a deal?" He holds out his hand for me to shake, I just stare at it.

"So how do I know you won't turn on me the moment Oliver is dead?"

"You don't. Hell, I probably will if I get something out of it," Well, at least he was honest. I think dryly. "But I'm more loyal to you than anyone here. Sure, a few have the same goals as you and will help you out, but you _enslaved_ them Collins and that's bound to piss them off. So actually, right now, I'm the best friend you've got. So what do ya say?" He's still holding that hand out and, reluctantly, I go up and shake it.

I grin to myself in the present, stretching out on the narrow prison standard cot. He and the few who were loyal to me would be here soon to get me out. And then we were going to burn this town straight to hell.


	28. Chapter 28

**I updated chapter 26 a bit. Nothing big, I just had Adrian tell Claire his name so that this would make sense! :) Please review! :D  
**

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**_Amelie_**

I am going through papers at my desk when my secretary buzzes me. Sighing, I push the button to respond.

"Yes?" I ask, my voice glacier cool.

"Claire Danvers is here to see you ma'am." Claire? What on earth could she want now? I had just finished dealing with her. But that girl was persistent and I knew she would not go away until I admitted her.

"Let her in."

"Yes ma'am." She replies a second before the door swings open.

"Claire, I had been hoping not to see you the rest of the day," I say making sure to put disapproval in my voice, she doesn't flinch from my hard tone. My, my, this must be important. "What is the trouble now?"

"I may have run into someone who knows Shane's plans."

"May have?" I ask, raising an eyebrow.

"I won't tell you who unless you promise me some things that they asked."

"And who says that you are in a position to make demands? We have ways to make Shane talk."

"But do you honestly think he will ever talk?"

"It will be difficult, but we can be quite persuasive." I say with a not so nice smile.

"I don't doubt it," Claire replies looking grim. "But are you sure you don't want to take the easy route? This guy is willing to talk you just have to agree not to hurt him or his family. Shane forced them into this, they did nothing wrong. They want to leave Morganville without punishment."

"They had better have some pretty good information. Alright, I promise that if I think what they have to offer is important and pertinent, that I will agree to their demands. Who is it?" Claire takes a deep breath; apparently I was not going to like this.

"Adrian."

"Then I do not agree." I say, turning cold.

"What!" Claire says, mouth gaping open before she slams it shut. "He said that something happened between you two and that you were mad at him but he also said that was centuries ago! What could he have done that was so bad?"

"He betrayed me. I will never forgive him. If that is all you may leave." I say turning back to my papers.

"But—"Claire begins to protest, her voice filled with frustration.

"I said _leave_," My voice laced with barely held icy power. I see her flinch but she doesn't budge. "_Now or you will regret the consequences_." I practically roar. Finally, I see Claire turn to leave, but I know she'll be back. That girl never gave up.

"Ma'am! Founder!" My secretary says as she bursts into the room. "It's Shane Collins he's escaped!"

"Are you sure you don't want to know his plans now?" Claire asks after the panic leaves her face, turning towards me, arms crossed and looking smug.

"Get him here. Now."


	29. Chapter 29

**So here goes nothing, I'm attempting to do Myrnin's point of view. Please tell me how well I do at it! :) I appreciate the reviews! Keep 'em coming!**

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**_Myrnin_**

"Claire, you can't go back there!" I say in complete frustration for what seems like the millionth time. "He knows where you live! He will look there for you first!"

"No Myrnin," Claire says firmly. "I've told you before, I won't run. Besides, there's nowhere else for me to go."

"You could stay here." I say quietly as the idea suddenly comes to me.

"_What_?!" Claire practically shrieks.

"Listen a minute," I say putting my hands out, trying to calm her. "He would not think to look there. You may sleep in my bedroom, I will find a couch."

"No, just no Myrnin," Claire says shaking her head, as stubborn as ever. "That's too weird. I mean well, since we're a couple and everything I guess," She says, blushing and looking away.

"Is that what we are Claire?" I ask, starring at her intently. "A couple?"

"I guess," She says with a shrug, avoiding my eyes. "Besides, I couldn't be cooped up here all day! I have classes."

"I would accompany you. Claire, you know you could always return to your old home with your friends. That house is completely secure. Well, mostly." I amend after thinking on it a moment.

"No, I don't want to talk to them right now." Claire says sitting down in a nearby chair.

"You will have to face them sometime." I say gently.

"I know, just not right now. And I'm _not _staying here Myrnin. I'm going back to my dorm." And with that, she gets up to leave. _No_, I couldn't lose her again. I rush in front of her taking advantage of my enhanced speed. She gives a little gasp of shock before glaring at me.

"Get out of the way Myrnin!" She says through gritted teeth.

"No." I say simply before I grab her shoulders and swoop down, making my lips meet hers. She resists at first, attempting to shove me away. I chuckle in my head silently to myself. She just never gave up, did she? But, after a minute, I feel her melt into my arms as she kisses me back.

God, I never thought I'd be able to do this again. It had already been much too good to be true when she had let me _kiss _her the first time . When she had actually reciprocated my feelings, I could hardly believe it. That's why I was not at all surprised when she began avoiding me, not answering her phone. I had known it couldn't possibly last. Not that it didn't hurt, it was as if she had torn my heart from chest and ripped it to shreds. But now, she was _back _and willing to be with me again. God, this must be a dream. My life was complete with her. My Claire, my little bird, she made me happy. Something I had not truly been in a very long time.

After an immeasurable amount of time, Claire pulls back, her face flushed. She still looks upset but she doesn't leave my arms. Remarkable.

"That wasn't fair and you know it!" She says weakly trying to sound mad.

"I know," I say with a shrug. "But it gave me what I wanted didn't it?" I ask raising an eyebrow at her.

"Yes," Claire says rolling her eyes and sighing. "I'll stay here. But you _will _sleep on the couch. Not even another surprise kiss attack could convince me differently on that."

"Of course," I say doing my best impression at looking innocent, which I rarely ever am. "You do not think that I will be a gentleman?"

"Oh I don't doubt that you'll be _your _definition of a gentleman." Claire mumbles, giving me another eye roll.

"Fair enough," I say grinning in a way that must look very wicked. "Now, I shall return to your dorm with you to fetch your things. Alright?"

"Fine. Let's go."

**_Claire_**

Myrnin had just left me tucked tightly under my own sheets from the dorm in his little cupboard of a room. I still couldn't believe that I was actually _here_. How had one kiss gotten me to do something so stupid? Oh yeah, because Myrnin literally had hundreds of years of kissing experience. _So_, not fair.

The room was full of strange, creepy looking shadows and I really wish he'd left the light on. It was really freaky, knowing that Shane was out there again, with only one thought in his mind, to kill me. It was still so hard to believe that it was the same person. It was like some horror movie where the crazy psycho had possessed the hero's body and was calling all the shots.

But at least I had Myrnin, I think smiling to myself. Myrnin who forgave me even after all had just put him through. How had I gotten so lucky? And on that happy note, I drift off to sleep.

**_Claire_**

"No, Shane! No! Please! Stop! No!" I shriek sitting up in bed, breathing heavily, cold all over. It had been the dream again, the dream where it started out nice, a normal night at the Glass house, back before Shane and Eve were vampires, everyone joking and eating dinner, Shane's famous chili. Then, it all went wrong, Shane would change, becoming cruel and cold, a vampire. He would slowly rip us apart one by one in front of the others, leaving me for last. It ended when he backed me into a corner, splattered with Michael and Eve's blood as he wrapped his hands around my throat, grinning maniacally, showing his bloodstained teeth as I screamed and pleaded for him to stop.

"Claire!" Myrnin says sounding worried as he zips into the room. "What happened? I heard you screaming, but I was working at the computer, I came as fast as I could."

"It was—I." I begin, stuttering, gulping back sobs, but the tears win, coming free in a torrent as I begin to sob.

"Shh, my little bird, shh," Myrnin says as he sits on the bed and wraps me into his strong arms, as I lean into him, trembling. "It was only a dream fy annwyl. Only a dream."

I know that it was only a dream. It was always just a dream. That wasn't the scary part; I was used to it by now. The scary part was that it could happen, any day. I was never going to be safe again.

"Myrnin," I say, after the tears have finally subsided and his shirt is thoroughly drenched with them. "Will you—will you stay with me until I fall asleep? Please?" His dark eyes widen marginally, before his face goes carefully blank.

"Of course Claire, I will sit right over there until you fall asleep. You have my word."

"No, could you-could you just hold me until I do? I don't want to be alone. Please Myrnin?"

"Are you certain?" He asks; face still holding no emotion, unreadable.

"Yes. "I say firmly, lying back down. After a minute hesitation, he lies beside me, my back to his front as he carefully wraps his arms around me. His face presses into my hair and he kisses the top of my head as my eyes close.

"Sleep well my little bird." Is the last thing I hear before I drift into a blissfully dreamless sleep.


	30. Chapter 30

**Thanks for all of the reviews! :D**

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**_Claire_**

I wake up in the morning, well rested for once, and I stretch lazily. Myrnin is gone; I wonder how long he'd stayed?

Wait-what was that _smell_? I sniff the air and wrinkle my noise, something was totally burning. What the heck?

I hop out of bed and cautiously open the doorway and I'm met with a thick wall of black smoke. I can't see anything else, but the strangest thing is that I don't feel heat, as if it were a fire. I immediately begin to cough and my eyes burn and water. You were supposed to get as low to the ground as you could right? Yeah, that was where the clearest air was, I remembered now. I drop to my hands and knees and I begin to crawl, which might be even more hazardous. Who knew what Myrnin had on the floor?

"Myrnin!" I manage to croak out, beginning to panic after I've crawled a bit and I seemed to be going nowhere, all I could see was smoke. I was suffocating, I couldn't breathe. I was probably going in circles. Simply put, I was screwed.

"Claire!" I distantly hear Myrnin shout in panic. I see a pair of feet clad in— ragged bunny slippers come into my vision and a second later, a pair of strong arms scoops me up and I'm zipping away at an incredible speed, before I'm deposited outside. Gasping, I gulp in the cool, clean, precious air.

"What…the…hell...Myrnin!" I shout in between breaths through my sore, raw throat.

"I am so very sorry Claire! Are you all right?" Myrnin asks anxiously crouching down to look at me through wide worried eyes.

"No! What was all of that smoke from? Is the lab on fire?"

"I was… well I was making you breakfast." Myrnin says looking extremely embarrassed.

"You. Were. Making. Breakfast," I say slowly, staring at him in disbelief. "What the hell were you making that caused all of that smoke?"

"Well I attempted to make you bacon and eggs, several times actually, on a Bunsen burner. It went horribly wrong."

"You tried to make bacon and eggs on a Bunsen burner? And what, they caught on fire?" I say still completely shocked. I mean it was a really sweet thought, but…yeah fire so not good.

"Yes, five times I believe. I kept trying and trying, and I just couldn't get it right!" He says sounding completely frustrated. "And the smoke kept coming, and there were no windows to open. I really am sorry my dear. Are you going to be alright?"

"Oh Myrnin…" I say trailing off, unsure of how to continue. "That was really sweet of you—but just so you know in the future, I'm fine with doughnuts or cereal. But thanks, really I appreciate it. And I'll be fine. Now, how in the world are we going to get all of this smoke out of here? You did turn off the Bunsen burner right?"

"I knew I forgot something!" He says snapping his fingers and leaping up. "I'll be right back!" And he zips down the stairs, but he's only gone a second. "Now, as to the smoke, I suppose we can leave the door open and turn some fans on inside to get it all out."

"Okay, well then while you're doing that, can I go back to the dorms to shower? I'm covered in smoke."

"I do not know I think that is a good idea Claire." Myrnin says frowning.

"I'll be gone thirty-forty minute tops Myrnin, I'll be fine. I just have to get back down there somehow for clothes…" I say trailing off.

"Fine," Myrnin says sighing in defeat. "One moment please." And, before I can protest he's gone again and back in less than a minute holding my battered backpack.

"You put clothes and other things in here yes?" He asks, holding it out to me.

"Yeah, thanks," I say, relieved that I'd thought to pack stuff in there. I had been afraid he would come up holding my bra and underwear. "I'll be right back. Oh, and get some air freshener while you're out too please, it's going to smell awful.

"Yes alright," Myrnin says sounding distracted. "Please be careful."

I make it to the dorm without any incidents, although I do get some pretty strange looks. I must look awful. Sighing, I go to the old dorm showers, it's completely empty, everyone was either sleeping or in class.

I brace myself and look into the mirror. Yep, I totally looked like some horror movie creature. My brown hair was all frizzy, sticking up all over the place, and my eyes were red and bloodshot, I was also wearing only short pajama shorts and a huge oversized T-shirt that basically covered them.

I could almost hear Monica Morelle's snarky comment now, "Well, it looks like someone decided to pay a trip to zombie Hookerville." Or something like that, she was much better at those things then me, about the only thing that she beat me at was being evil bitch queen of Morganville. Actually, I hadn't seen much of her lately. Maybe she'd left the town, now that her brother was gone. Or she had gotten eaten. The thought makes me shiver, no matter how high up you were, your safety was never ensured in Morganville.

On that delightful note, I hop into the shower, letting the warm water rush over me and relax my muscles until it begins to run cold before I was out my hair. That was pretty much the best shower ever. I really don't want to deal with any more drama right now. Really, I just want to curl back under the covers with a cup of hot cocoa and a good book. But there was too much to do.

Sighing, I dry off and dress in jeans and a T-shirt. I probably needed to get back to Myrnin's in case he decided to light something else on fire. I open the door and run right into somebody.

"Sorry," I mumble, wanting to hurry on my way, and then I do a double take. "Wait, _Eve_? What are you doing here?" There in front of me was Eve, dressed pretty much the same as me, the only Goth part was her pale face, and that was no longer makeup. She looked awful, like she hadn't been sleeping or something. Instantly, I feel awful for just up and leaving her and Michael.

"Hey, Claire," Eve says giving me a tentative smile and a tiny wave. "It's nice to see you."

"Yeah, it's nice to see you too Eve," I say giving a small smile back. "How are you? How's Michael?"

"We're pretty good. Michael says I'm adjusting pretty well." Adjusting to being a vampire she meant. I had run out of things to say, and after an awkward minute of silence, I decide to go.

"Well…I'd better get going. See you later." I turn to leave and an instant later, I feel a cold hand on my shoulder, stopping me.

"Wait!" Eve says desperately as I slowly turn around, preparing myself for anything. "Claire, you've got to come back! I know I should have told you and I'm really sorry, I was only trying to protect you, and well…everyone! Please come back, Michael and I miss you so much; besides, it's not safe for you here!" Her eyes are filled with tears that threaten to spill over.

"I'm not staying here Eve," I say as calmly as I can. "Not anymore."

"What?" Eve asks looking completely confused. "Then where are you staying?"

"That's not any of your business." I say, feeling myself begin to blush. That was _so _not helpful.

"Oh," I see a light bulb go off in her head. "_Oh! _Claire are you _freaking _kidding me? Please tell me you're not staying where I think you're staying."

"Like I just said, not any of your business." I say firmly.

"You just totally gave me the answer! Claire, you're crazy! You know how dangerous he can be!"

"It's not like that," I say, knowing it's no use trying to deny it. "The lab is much safer, unless someone knows how to use the portals, there's only one way in. Besides, I sleep in the bed, and he's on the couch." Although _technically _that wasn't true really… A little voice in my heads reminds me. I tell it to shut up.

"Claire…" Eve starts and then trails off. "Fine, I know I can't stop you. I just wanted you to know how much we both miss you and that you're welcome back at any time. Sorry I wasted your time." She finishes stiffly, before brushing past me.

"Eve wait!" I call, as a wave of regret instantly rushes at me. She turns around slowly, her face cool and blank. "Maybe-maybe I will come back okay? I just need a few days to sort everything out."

"Oh C.B!" Eve squeals rushing at me vamp speed and enveloping me in a bone crushing hug. "This is great! I really did miss you!"

"Yeah, missed you too Eve," I gasp out. "Now, can you please let me go? I can't breathe."

"Oh, oops," Eve says sounding embarrassed as she releases me and I wait for the world to stop spinning. "Sorry, I'm still getting used to this whole, vamp strength thing."

"It's okay," I say managing a small smile. "How are things going with that? You don't feel ah weird or anything do you?"

"Weird?" Eve asks and gives a laugh. "This whole thing is weird Claire! I feel so much stronger, and faster, like I could do anything!"

"That's not what I meant." I say uncomfortably, averting my eyes.

"Then wha-? Oh," Eve says woodenly as she understands. "You mean like Shane? No, no not at all like that. Michael says I'm doing very well. I think—well I think that Shane was a special case what with how it happened, and his dad, his past, the beliefs engraved into him."

"Yeah." I mumble, that had pretty much what Amelie had said.

"It'll be alright Claire," Eve says after a minute, wrapping her arms around my shoulders and squeezing me tight. "We'll—we'll get him back somehow."

I tell her I agree and hug her back, glad for the comfort. I really had missed them. But suddenly, I'm not so sure if I want Shane back after all.

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**Sorry that this is a bit of another filler chapter, I promise more action is on the way!**


	31. Chapter 31

**Hey everyone, please review! :D And just so ya know, I'm getting into the last few chapters of this, maybe five or six more chapters, or it could be ten, who knows?. But don't worry, there will be a sequel! :)**

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**_Claire_**

As I am walking back to Myrnin's, I remember that I'm supposed to be searching for Adrian. Myrnin was definitely not going to like this. How was I going to convince him to let me do it?

"Myrnin?" I call as I walk down the stairs to the smoke free lab that now smells like vanilla air freshener.

"Oh, there you are Claire!" Myrnin calls and I see him buried under dozens of books, barely visible, in a corner. "I was beginning to get worried."

"What on Earth are you doing?"

"I was looking for something... Ah-ha!" He cries triumphantly holding up a crumbling leather bound book. "I found it!"

"That's great Myrnin, but I really have to tell you something."

"Yes, yes but you must read this Claire, it's very important."

"I can't right now Myrnin!" I say in frustration. "That's what I'm trying to tell you!"

"Well what is it?" Myrnin asks standing up and making books rain down all around him.

"Do you remember that I told you I met a guy named Adrian at the dorm?"

"Yes, what about it?" Myrnin asks standing up and making books rain around him.

"Amelie agreed to his terms, she sent me to go find him so that they could talk."

"No," Myrnin says firmly, shaking his head. "I will not let you do this Claire; it has to be a trap."

"You can come with me; he didn't tell me where to find him. I probably need your help anyway."

"Claire…" Myrnin starts and then sighs in defeat. "Fine, I shall help you. But after this, you have to promise me that you will stay out of this."

"I promise." I say, although I'm not sure it's a promise that I can keep.

**_Shane_**

"You know how to use the portals right?" I ask Jason as he enters my office and closes the door.

"Yeah." Jason replies smirking.

"Teach me."

He grins.

**_Claire_**

"Are you sure this is where he'd be?" I ask nervously looking around the rundown neighborhood full of graffiti, peeling paint, and broken windows.

"Yes, this is where all of the exiles and degenerates lurk." Myrnin replies, eyes scanning his surroundings.

"How are we going to find him?"

"I am hoping that he will find us."

A few minutes later, a dark shape emerges from the shadows and Myrnin shoves me behind him protectively. It continues forward until I see that it's Adrian. He holds his hands out, doing his best to look nonthreatening it seems.

"I am only here to talk. Did Amelie accept my terms?"

"Yes, should we take you to her then?"

"Could you not relay the message to her? I do not quite trust her word."

"I am sure she would like to hear it in person." Myrnin says coldly.

"It's nice to see you too Myrnin," Adrian says with a smirk. "What's it been a century or so?"

"You know exactly how long it's been," Myrnin snaps. "Now will you come or not?"

"Yes, I'll come. But let me get my family safely out of here first. I will meet you at town hall in an hour."

"There is no way we're just letting you leave." I say stepping out from behind Myrnin.

"I see you do not trust me either," Adrian says, and I can't tell if he's being serious or sarcastic. You could never tell with vampires. "Perhaps that is for the best. In a town like this, everyone is a potential enemy, even those you hold close, maybe them especially." Right then, I want to slap him because it's obvious that he means Shane.

"Look, can't you just text your family or whatever and tell them to meet you at the border?" I say, fighting my temper.

"Yes, I suppose that makes sense. Modern technology never ceases to amaze me. I will come with you then. Lead the way."

Ten minutes later, we've reached Amelie's office and we are ushered in by her guards. She sits at her desk with Oliver standing beside her, arms crossed and scowling. Adrian steps forward to stand in front of them and Myrnin leads me to a couple of chairs in a far corner, out of range of anything that might happen.

"Adrian," Amelie says coolly. "I would say that it is a pleasure to see you after so many years but we both know that is not the case."

"I am in complete agreement Founder, this is strictly business. Oliver, I am afraid I must say the same for you as well. It's sad really; we all used to be such great friends." Adrian says sighing tragically.

"Get on with it scum," Oliver snarls, eyes flashing red. "Before I lose my temper."

"We wouldn't want that now would we? Very well then, I will tell you what I know. My family and I still get to go free, yes?"

"If I like what I hear and if you stop having an attitude then yes, you all may go free." Amelie says giving him a stare as cold as a glacier.

"That is all that I ask," Adrian says smiling and giving an elaborate bow. "Now, as to his plans. He has already started by killing or rather having _us _killing, random humans here and there, and then he moved onto vampires who could not be won over before destroying his maker Henry. He has simply been trying to cause panic."

"Yes, yes we know all of this." Oliver says irritably, interrupting Adrian.

"May I continue?" Adrian asks giving Oliver a pointed look. "Next he plans on taking out his old friends, Claire here included," He says nodding in my direction. "After that it is the Council before ending with Myrnin, Oliver, and finally Amelie before he controls the town. He has also received help from Jason; I assume you know who that is?"

"He's dead," Oliver hisses, eyes blazing a terrifying red. "He will not get another chance."

"That is all that I know. He has not decided when or where yet or even how. I just know that it is going to be soon. Would you like to know where they are located?"

"Yes." Amelie says, face perfectly blank.

"The old warehouse on Mulberry Street. Do you know where that is?"

"I believe so. Thank you Adrian, this information is extremely helpful. You are free to leave."

"Thank you." Adrian says before bowing again and leaving the room.

"Get all of the Council members here, now." Amelie buzzes her secretary.

"Yes, Founder."

"And give them armed transport here; double the guards at my office."

"Yes, ma'am, right away."

"Myrnin, I suggest you get Claire to safety as well as her friends as soon as possible." Amelie says, turning to face him.

"Of course," Myrnin says, giving an elaborate bow of his own. "Anything else?"

"No, that will be all. Thank you, both of you." Amelie says looking weary, that was bad. That was really, _really _bad, Amelie never allowed herself to look weak. We were in major trouble.


	32. Chapter 32

**Who will be the lucky hundredth reviewer? :D**

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**_Claire_**

As Myrnin and I the front door to the Glass House, my first thought is how weird it is that I'm knocking on the door for well the only time I can remember, my second thought is that something is majorly wrong here. The whole house is just giving off this really bad vibe, like if I go in there I might not come back.

"Myrnin," I say worriedly, stepping back from the door. It looks like no one's home, but then in the living room, I see a curtain rustle.

"I know," He replies frowning. "Let me go first."

"I just saw a curtain move." I point to it.

"Let's hope it's Eve and Michael." Myrnin says grimly.

He steps in front of me and pounds on the door. When no one answers, he pounds on it again before ringing the door bell, actually, he never takes his finger _off _the door bell and it just keeps going on and on; _ding-dong, ding-dong_, before I put a hand on his arm and make him stop.

"Myrnin, no one's going to answer, just open the door."

"You're right," He says and jiggles the knob. It's locked so what does he do? He pushes me backwards and kicks it in. I wince; we should just keep a supply of extra doors in the basement with how often that happened.

Inside, its pitch black despite the bright, sunny day inside. That was never a good sign.

"Stay here," Myrnin orders. "I'm going to check it out. If I don't come back, call for help."

"I'm coming with you! It's _my _friends in there, and you could get hurt!" I protest.

"Do you have any weapons?" Myrnin asks giving me a cold stare, when I don't respond he continues. "That's what I thought. You would only be a hindrance. Eve and Michael are vampires, as am I; we will have much better chances of getting away if we don't have to look after you."

His words are like a slap to my face. I know that it's true, that they can all take care of themselves; there wasn't much that could hurt them. But it still hurt that I won't be of any help and that Myrnin thinks that too, just made it worse. Every other time that I'd won a fight, someone had come to help me or I'd just been pure lucky.

"Fine," I say numbly and I go sit on the front steps. "Just get all three of you out of there safely alright? I don't feel like losing anyone today." I sit there for a minute, feeling sorry for myself and I think that he's gone inside, but ,suddenly, I'm swept off of my feet and Myrnin is crushing me against him, his lips pressed to mine.

I'm scared it's the last kiss we'll have so I kiss him back fiercely, hugging him tight. It seems like it'll never end, and I don't want it too, because he might not come back from the house. Maybe none of them will come back and I'll be left all alone. And that terrifies me. Finally, he pulls back, though I'm still in his arms, and he kisses the top of my head.

"I will come back fy annwyl, I promise." He murmurs, before stepping back.

"I know," I say smiling and wiping away tears I hadn't realized I'd shed. I know it might not be a promise he can keep. Myrnin smiles sadly before disappearing into the darkness.

Ten minutes pass, then twenty and I don't hear a sound from inside. I was really beginning to get worried. What the hell was going on in there? I think as I nervously pace the porch, casting anxious glances at the house. Finally, I decide to call the police.

"911 what's your emergency?" A bored voice answers.

"I don't know. Something's wrong at the Glass House. I think there are intruders here, my boyfriend went in to check it out twenty minutes ago and he hasn't come back."

"I will send someone right away. Don't go inside." She hangs up. Great, the cops would be here any minute now.

"Claire!" I suddenly hear a muffled cry from the house. I look back at the gaping black hole leading into the house, debating on how stupid I was going to be. The police would be here soon, but if my friends were getting killed in there, could I really wait? The answer was no. I look around to see if there are any weapons I can use. I spot a short, metal pipe with a sharp end that wouldn't do much good against a vamp, but would work perfectly fine against a human.

Cautiously, I enter the dark house trying to be silent, although I know that someone has to know that I'm here. I wince as a floorboard creaks and I freeze, heart pounding, waiting for something to pounce. When nothing does, I continue slowly forward, holding the pipe like a bat and forcing myself not to cry out as I continuously run into furniture.

Finally, I reach the living room; my eyes adjust to the complete darkness as no light from the doorway can reach here. When they do, I see several human shapes slumped together by the stairs. I smell something rancid, something—burning. What the heck?

"Eve, Michael, Myrnin!" I whisper out as quietly as I can as I hurry over to them. The lights suddenly flash on and I squint at the sudden brightness. I see that Eve, Michael, and Myrnin are all lumped together on the stairs, wrapped head to toe in silver chains, Eve and Michael have both passed out and their skin is literally _smoking _all over and their skin is blackening, cracking, flaking off and bleeding. Myrnin isn't nearly as bad, but is skin is a livid red and he is grimacing in pain. When he sees me, his eyes widen in horror.

"Claire no! Run, it's a trap!"

"I can't leave you all here!"

"Claire go!" Myrnin roars, his eyes flaring red. And that is when something hard cracks into the back of my head and I see stars.


	33. Chapter 33

**_Claire_**

I wake up with a massive headache, my head pounds and I feel like my head was hit by a bus. The lights are still on and I see the inert forms of Myrnin, Eve, and Michael beneath me. My hands and feet are tied to the railing a few steps above them with a coarse rope that bites painfully into my wrists and ankles. The attackers are nowhere in sight and—neither is the police. What the hell?

"Myrnin," I whisper anxiously. How long had I been out? Where they even _alive_? "Are you okay?"

"Claire?" Myrnin whispers back hoarsely. "I will be fine. Are you alright?"

"As soon as we get the hell out of here I will be. Who did this?"

"That would be me." A deep voice booms and a surprisingly small man enters the room, guarded by a piece of muscle on each side. He is only about five-five, forty something with receding brown hair and cold gray eyes.

"Let me guess Captain Obvious?" I ask dryly. "I am getting really tired of all of you."

"And everyone else, Miss. Danvers, is getting extremely tired of _you_." His mouth twists into a threatening leer and I involuntarily try to move backwards against my restraints.

"What's going on? Where are the cops?" I ask nervously.

"Oh they're just a little occupied right now. What with the riot down town and all. Believe it or not, you and your little posse of delinquents are not the center of the universe."

"What riot?" I ask, turning cold with fear.

"The one that I orchestrated," He says smugly. "You see, we are all more than fed up with these vamps treating us like slaves. It's time to get them to ah relocate."

"Many have tried before and none have succeeded." Myrnin adds oh so not helpfully.

"This time is different; we've been planning for months. Besides, now's the optimal time. Because of your little _ex-boyfriend_ Miss. Danvers, the vamps are divided. Some are dead and some have left secretly. This also gives us an excellent opportunity to dispose of Shane. We don't like it when so many of our people turn up dead."

"And you don't think that we want Shane put away?" I ask in complete disbelief. "Do you think that we _like _him killing innocent people?" He studies me a moment, cruel and calculating, and I force myself not to squirm under his scrutiny.

"No," He says finally. "Even if you are the Founder's little pet, I don't think that you'd condone this. But, you do care about the vamps, these three included," He says voice laced with disgusts and he gives a vicious kick to Eve's head who moans in pain but does not wake. "And so, you are more of a liability then an asset. You understand don't you Miss. Danvers?" He asks as a flame flicks to life in his hand. "You sided with the enemy and there are bound to be consequences. These two are even worse; they use to be like _us_. Now, if you'll excuse us, we have a riot to get to." He pulls his arms back, aiming for—aiming for our _gas _stove that one of his goons has just turned on. The other smashes a window in with a chair making a quick escape.

"No!" I scream in complete terror. No, no, no I couldn't die like this! Is my last thought before Amelie crashes through a previously non-broken window with Oliver.

"I am completely and utterly tired of dealing with you." Amelie says before zipping forward and swiftly snapping the stunned Captain Obvious's neck, he crumples to the ground but his lighter still glows.

"Amelie, perfect timing as usual." Myrnin says, and I hear the grin in his voice.

"Amelie the lighter!" I shout as the flames begin to lick at the old, dry, wooden floor. She reaches down and simply crushes it in her hands before throwing the remains out the window.

"Oliver, dispatch of those two." She says nodding in the direction of the two retreating thugs as she stamps out the flame. Oliver nods in return before disappearing out of the shattered windows. She passes the three vampires on the floor and heads towards me.

"Wait, untie them first not me! I'm not sure if Eve and Michael are still alive!" I protest as she rapidly snaps my bonds.

"And you will not be if I let three starving vampires loose in here while you are tied down," Okay, point taken. "Now, go into the hidden room. You will be safe there."

Rubbing my raw wrists, I scramble up the rest of the stairs and to the painting in the hallway where the secret button is hidden. Pressing it, I hurry up the stairs, and I hear the door slam shut below just as someone begins ramming into it.

Breathing hard, I slump onto an old couch and listen to the continued pounding below. Why did this crap always happen to me? The banging seems to go on for hours before it finally stops and I drift off to sleep.

I awake several minutes or maybe even hours later, to a light knocking on the door below. Warily, I walk down the stairs and face the door.

"Who is it?"

"It's me, Myrnin," I hear him say and I get a rush of relief. "Claire, are you alright?"

"I'm fine Myrnin," I say cautiously. "Are _you _alright?"

"Meaning am I insane and or trying to kill you?" He asks bluntly. "No I am not. You have been in there five hours and I am perfectly alright now."

"I'd love to believe you Myrnin, but I need to hear it from Amelie."

"You don't trust me?"

"I trust you when you're _you _Myrnin. Now get Amelie if you want me to open this door." I say firmly.

"Claire…" He starts and then I hear him sigh. "Fine, one moment."

"Claire, this Amelie," Her voice says merely seconds later. "Everything is fine. You may let us in."

I walk back up the stairs and reach out to push the button, but I hesitate. What if Myrnin was holding her hostage or something? What if when I opened the door, he attacked and maybe even killed me? Was I really willing to risk it?

"Claire, please." Myrnin says pleadingly a minute later. Before I can stop myself, I push the button, opening the door. He zooms up the stairs a second later and engulfs me in his arms. I stiffen for a second, before I relax when he doesn't tear into my throat.

"Are you alright?" I ask anxiously, when he finally pulls back.

"I'll be fine," He assures me, although I still see vicious burn marks on his wrists and neck. "Are _you _alright? I told you to stay outside, why would you risk yourself like that?"

"I'm fine. And I heard someone call my name."

"That was Michael, and he was trying to _warn _you, but that maniac knocked him out before he could finish. It was idiotic of Michael to do that."

"Well, it doesn't matter now, we're all safe. How are Eve and Michael doing?"

"Not very well," Myrnin says looking grim. "Eve is still catatonic and Michael is not much better." My stomach drops.

"Will they—are they going to be alright?" I ask voice shaking.

"Time will tell. They are both very young—a hundred year old vampire would be lucky to survive that. Let alone one not yet a year old."

"Can I go see them?"

"That would not be safe; they are incredibly unpredictable at the moment."

"Meaning they'd kill me." I say numbly.

"Yes," He says simply. "Now, I think we should be getting back to the lab."

"What about the riot?"

"It was controlled two hours ago. They failed of course; seventy of them are in jail right now."

"Oh. So is everything alright now?"

"I wouldn't say things are alright Claire but yes, for the time being things are quiet. Their leader is dead and Shane is still hiding."

"Great, then let's go." I say, glad for a least a nights worth of peace and quiet.


	34. Chapter 34

**Hey everyone, this will probably be the last chapter for a few days, my laptop is all screwed up and my dad is taking it in to get fixed. But there will be more soon I promise! :D Thank you all for the reviews and please keep them coming!**

**_Amelie_**

I arrive back at the Founder's house, as they are called, that Oliver and I acquired after our wedding, thoroughly exhausted. The riot was under control with a miraculous total of zero casualties and only minor injuries. Claire, along with Myrnin and her friends were safe once again and I all I really wish to do is sleep. But since Oliver has yet to return, I do something that would likely shock most citizens into a coma; I change into sweatpants and a T-shirt before curling up on the couch and switching on the T.V. It is mostly just for the sound, but I still enjoy the movie I remember having seen several decades ago. I could not always pose as an Ice Queen like was assumed, it was simply too taxing.

Half way through the movie, I am drifting off to sleep when I hear the door open and I immediately tense, always wary of intruders. Of course, it is only my dear husband and I relax with a smile as he sits beside me, wrapping his arm around me and pulling me close before kissing the top of my head.

"Is everything in order?" I ask turning to look at his smiling face.

"Yes, I do not believe that they shall attempt another rebellion for quite some time. Unless they are much more idiotic than they always appear." He says grimly, smile dropping. I sigh inwardly at that, it was always so nice when he smiled as it happened so infrequently.

"And the Collin's boy?"

"Hiding like the insect he is under some rock," He growls. "Along with a few of his wretched followers."

"He really is becoming quite annoying. He must be found and exterminated."

"And do you not think that this will cause Clair to turn against us?" He asks eyebrows raised. "And Myrnin as well, now that they seem to be a couple. I believe she wishes us to imprison him, and rehabilitate him. It is ridiculous of course; he is too much of threat to be held in even the most secure prison, but should we not at least pretend to do this? We can make it appear as if he attempted to escape and we were left with no choice but to terminate him."

"That might be for the best," I agree after a moment of thought. "But the real question is _how _shall we find him? We went to the warehouse Adrian informed us about but they had already cleared out."

"I am sure that he will come to us soon enough," Oliver replies. "The only questions are when and where."

"True. But let's not ruin tonight with this talk. Can we not just enjoy this movie together?"

"Of course my dear." He says softly giving me another smile that melts my heart. We turn our attention back to the screen and are soon engrossed in the movie. I fall asleep to him stroking my hair.

I wake up the instant the portal opens. This house, like most Founder's homes, was equipped with a sort of warning signal the house sent out when something was wrong. And something was extremely wrong as Shane Collins and Jason Rosser are standing in my living room. I had been a complete idiot and utterly forgotten that Jason new the workings of the portals.

"Long time no see Amelie," Shane says with a cold hearted grin as Oliver and I leap off the couch, all drowsiness gone and prepared for anything. "Hey that kind of rhymed."

"Oliver, I can't _wait _to watch you get your butt kicked." Jason says grinning with anticipation.

"That is not likely to happen," Oliver says with contentious snort. "You two may either come to the prison willingly right now and avoid a humiliating defeat, or you may fight and lose within minutes."

"Bring it on old man. " Shane leers.

"I was hoping you would say that." Oliver says, baring his teeth, eyes glowing red.

The fight only lasts, like Oliver said, minutes. I could have made it seconds by giving off my power, but that would have harmed Oliver as well. Instead, a fight ensues.

Only Shane puts up a worthy fight. Jason tries to attack me and Oliver has him slammed into the ground whimpering, as his arm is pulled painfully behind his back in seconds. He restrains him with silver handcuffs.

Shane actually manages a few good blows on us both, but he was letting his rage get the better of him instead of being logical and becomes sloppy. After tackling Oliver through a wall, they roll around for a few minutes, each landing kicks and punches. I simply watch, knowing that Oliver is perfectly capable of handling this. Oliver reaches up and grabs a silver candlestick we happen to have lying around and he slams it into Shane's head, knocking him unconscious as blood streams down Shane's face.

Standing up and wiping the blood from his nose, Oliver grins through bloodstained teeth and gives another vicious kick to Shane's head. He puts on another pair of handcuffs and walks over to me.

"Well done my dear," He says giving my cheek a kiss and staining it red. "Shall we dispose of these two or give them over to the authorities?" He asks, raising one brow.

"The authorities I suppose," I say with a sigh. "Although I would love to take my time with them, it is best not to cause any more conflict. They will both not see the light of day for centuries to come."

"As always, you are right my Queen." Oliver says with a nod.

"Let us call someone to take them then after we call someone to fix the wall of course."

"Yes, I never liked that color myself."

I make a sound of agreement although I am no longer paying attention, lost in thought. Could it really be this easy to dispose of them? To end this madness? In my experience that was never the case. I could only assume that more trouble was just around the bend.


	35. Chapter 35

**Sorry its taken so long to update, please review! :D**

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**_Amelie_**

I insist, against the protests of my guards that I ride with the prisoners to the jail while Oliver straightened up the house. I could not risk either of them escaping. The trip begins as expected, with Jason skulking in the back while Shane throws what he believes to be witty insults at us. As we are crossing a deserted street, filled with warehouses, it happens.

A nondescript black car pulls out directly in front of, parking lengthwise across the street. My driver swears and attempts to break and swerve simultaneously, but I see that the collision is inevitable and I brace myself. In the rearview mirror, I can see Shane and Jason" grins.

We hit with brutal force, the front of our vehicle colliding with the side of theirs. Glass flies and shots are fired. A bullet hits my shoulder with a stinging pain but I hardly flinch as I rip it out of my torn flesh. Stupid humans, they weren't even using silver.

I kick my door off its hinges as it refuses to open to see, as I had thought, four humans firing guns at our car. Apparently, the riot was not yet over.

"Stay with the prisoners!" I shout at the driver. I could easily dispatch of them all. One begins firing directly at me, but I dodge all of his pathetic bullets. I see and smell the fear in him as I continue walking forward, unharmed. I casually knock the gun out of his hands and it clatters to the ground, harmless. He gives a weak attempt at protecting himself before I grab his head and swiftly twist till I hear a satisfying crack and he drops to the ground, eyes wide and unseeing.

Two of them manage to open the back door and I see them roughly rip Shane and Jason out of the car as I shoot another man with his own weapon.

They kneel over Shane, wielding silver stakes, but they are too distracted to remember me. They've already impaled the driver, with one silver stake through his neck and another through his chest. I briefly consider allowing them to end Shane before I ended them, it would certainly solve a very large problem, but it would also create many new ones.

Just as one, a burly man that probably was an accountant to most of the town, is about to plunge the stake in, I kick out, hitting his head and making it twist at an unnatural angle, before he drops, dead. I quickly snap the neck of his remaining companion before ripping the two stakes out of my fallen guard.

"Wow Amelie, I didn't know you cared." Shane says through teeth stained with blood from his assailant's abuse, as I shove him back into the car.

"I don't. I do not wish to have the wrath of Claire and the rest of your former friends if I let you be killed or do it myself." The cocky grin drops an instant and I see true remorse and pain in his face, but the façade is quickly built again.

"She should forget about me."

"I agree, but she seems to believe that there is still good in you."

"Never gives up does she." Shane says ruefully.

"No, she most certainly does not." I say, slamming the door shut. I look around for Jason.

"Looks like you didn't win after all, huh Ice Queen?" Shane says with a smirk.

I swear under my breath and retrieve the two stakes from where the guard still lays motionless. Ignoring the burn of the silver, I race off into the maze of warehouses. Jason's time was up.

I find him in the second one I search, cowering in a back room, a trail of blood making him easy to find. His eyes widen with fear and he begins to tremble.

"Please, I promise I'll stop. I—I'll become an upstanding citizen."

"You are the most pathetic and useless creature that ever lived," I say letting some of my power loose and I see him wince with the force of it.

"You think that I will give you another chance? You believe that after all of your betrayals that I would even consider sparing your life?" I roar, and he covers his ears from the intensity. "You think that you can get away with changing sides whenever you choose? No, your time is up."

"P-please!" He begs. "I'm too young to die! I've made mistakes but I've learned!"

"Don't they always say that? No Jason Rosser, death has come knocking. Pray to your God and ask for forgiveness if he could spare any for you. Do you have any last words?"

"Can you—can you tell Eve that I'm sorry? For all of it. And that I know it's not her fault I got so screwed up, it's completely mine and I don't blame her. Tell her that I love and that my mother can burn in hell with me."

"I will." I say sincerely. I almost pitied this miserable creature. He had been abused, by his parents, my people and this town. Maybe if he had lived any where else, he could have been a good person. I step closer towards him and he closes his eyes, I see him mouthing a prayer, "Now I lay me down to sleep", most likely it's the only one he knows.

I reach out and snap his neck, just as the "Amen," passes his lips. It won't kill him, but he will be unconscious and unaware of the pain of a stake plunging into his chest.

I carry the body back to the car and put him and my guard into it. This town has known far too many deaths. This needed to end.


	36. Chapter 36

**Well guys, his is the final stretch of this fanfic left with 2-3 chapters. I hope I can finish it this weekend and I've already started the sequel so hopefully I can get the first chapter of that posted this weekend too. Thank you all for sticking with me and my story! :)**

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_**Claire_**

My phone buzzes, rudely jolting me awake. I sigh when I see the time on my clock; 3:15 a.m. Really, couldn't whatever it was wait till the sun was at least up? Yes, I decide, it could and I let it buzz until it falls silent and I drop back into the warm comfort of my bed. But, immediately, it resumes its annoying call, I guess it was useless to try to get some sleep in this town.

"What?" I snap, angrily punching the button to talk on my phone.

"Claire," Amelie's cool voice answers. "Is this a bad time?"

"A bad time?" I repeat in disbelief. "Amelie its three thirty in the morning! What couldn't wait until you know the sun was up?

"I apologize," She says sounding insincere. "But this is quite important."

"Well tell me already!"

"Shane has been detained. And Jason was disposed of while trying to escape after several rebels attacked us on the way to prison."

"What?" I ask, so shocked that all traces of exhaustion evaporate. "Jason's dead? Seriously?"

"What reason would I have to lie? I killed him myself. We were willing to give them both leniency, several decades in prison, but once I was distracted and had recaptured Shane, he tried to run. I had no choice but to kill him, he was always going to be a problem."

"Meaning it was _convenient _to kill him." I say not bothering to hide my disgust.

"No, I mean what I said. He was never going to be on my side, not fully. He would always switch sides when it suited him."

"So you just decided to kill him, because like I said, it was convenient for you."

"If you _insist _on putting it like that then yes," Amelie says her growing impatience clear. "It needed to be done eventually, and the situation was convenient."

"I can't believe this!" I practically shout, outraged. "You can't just decide things like that! Jason was a creepy jerk yeah, but now my _best friend _has basically no family! And who's to say that a couple of decades in prison wouldn't have changed him, huh? You can't know that!"

"I can do as I wish Claire," She says voice cool and laced with a barely hidden power. "It is my town no matter what you and the other residents want to believe, all final decisions are mine. I hold everyone's lives in my hand, including _yours _Miss. Danvers and I suggest you remember that."

"Are you threatening me?" I ask coldly.

"Yes," She says simply, stunning me. "I am thoroughly done with the behavior of everyone in this town, including you and your friends. Be careful Claire, be very careful."

"After all that I've done for you and this damned town you're going to do this?" I ask still in disbelief and my anger close to the boiling point.

"Yes, I will. You are a valuable asset to this town Claire, but make no mistake; you _are _dispensable and can be replaced." And with that, she hangs up.

"Well shit." I say staring down at my phone. I could tell it was going to be a very long day.

**_Eve_**

My world was never ending pain with brief moments of painless bliss when I managed to drift away. They all thought I was unconscious, unaware of what was going on around me, but they were wrong. I could hear things, like how people whispered about how I might die and how I even heard my _mother _crying. I just couldn't move, no matter how badly I wanted to, the best I could do was my make my fingers twitch, and that felt like running a marathon. I can also taste, when they feed me after forcing my mouth open, but it doesn't give me any strength, it doesn't ease the pain.

I know things aren't looking good for me, but I definitely don't want to die. Sure there are times when the white hot, pure agonizing, all-encompassing pain intensifies, and all I want to do is scream, but my lips won't work, my voice won't come. Then I wish for death briefly, I just want the pain to end, I just don't want to feel like my entire body is being stabbed repeatedly by multiply knives while I'm set on fire and my skin is peeled with a potato peeler, but that intensity of pain doesn't usually last long, thank God.

I don't know how long I have been like this, but it feels like years. The last thing I remember is a crazy guy hopping through my bedroom window while I was taking a nap and stabbing me. Things get pretty hazy after that, I vaguely remember being tied up, and seeing Claire, but after that is blackness. I don't think Michael is doing much better.

"Eve," A cool voice suddenly says, surprising me. It's Amelie. Why the heck was she here? "I do not know if you can hear me but I have a message from your brother," Jason, since when were he and Amelie besties? "He is dead. But he told me to tell you something." I briefly go numb. Jason was dead? How why? What the hell did he have to tell me?

"He said that he was sorry and the he did not blame you for anything, that it was not your fault that he turned out the way he was. He said he loved you and then, I quote, that you're my mother could burn in hell with him."

Jason said he loved me? He _apologized_? Maybe, there was still some good in him after all. The thought brings a cool tear down my cheek. And that last part was pure Jason, at least the Jason I knew. Maybe there was more to him then I and everyone had thought.

"My message is delivered and I see that you hear. Get well soon, young Eve."

And she leaves, leaving me alone with my pain, misery and regret.


	37. Chapter 37

**I'm really sorry this took so long to write! The endings are always the hardest! There's one chapter left-an epilogue. This is a really long chapter and it was difficult to write-I needed to get it just right! So here you go! Please review! :)**

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_**Claire_**

"Claire, how nice to see you," Myrnin says grinning as I enter the lab and plop my backpack down. "What brings you here today?"

"Amelie has completely lost it." I say flopping into an old armchair placed haphazardly in the middle of the lab.

"What do you mean?" Myrnin asks with a frown as he stands in front of me, crossing his arms.

"I mean she's gone crazy. She killed Jason, threatened to kill me if I cause problems and basically declared herself the town's dictator."

"Oh my," Myrnin says eyebrows raised. "She has lost it."

"Yeah, and I have no clue what to do."

"Who says you need to do anything?"

"Of course I have to do something!" I say in disbelief. "She could hurt people!"

"And when did the well being being of the entire town become your responsibility alone?"

"Since Eve and Michael are comatose and Shane is freaking evil!" I explode. "Someone has to make sure everyone isn't destroyed! Captain Obvious and his stupid ban of followers want to kill all the vampires and I just so happen to be friends with a lot of them. And everyone else is too scared to do anything!" I finish with tears in my eyes.

"So you believe that leaves you Claire?" Myrnin asks softly. "Have you never considered that things cannot possibly change as dramatically as you would like them to as quickly as you seem to expect?"

"I know change takes time Myrnin but it seems like I'm one of the only ones who wants any change that will help _everybody_. I'm just fed up and tired of it all. And everyone else seems to think I have to save this town too. They think that I'll just take care of everyone's problems and make it all better. No one seems to get that I'm just as scared and tired as the rest of them, I'm just better at hiding it I guess." I admit much to my surprise.

"Claire, come here." Myrnin says spreading his arms wide. I stare a t him a moment before I jump up and bury myself in them as I let the tears flow.

"Shh, my little bird, it will be alright, I promise." He murmurs as he kisses my tears away, one by one.

"No it won't," I sob miserably. "Shane is gone and Eve and Michael might never wake up. Things in this town are just getting worse and worse and I'm trapped here for the rest of my life. There's nothing alright about this Myrnin."

"There's one thing that you do have Claire, and that is me," He says looking me in the eye, his brown eyes wide and sincere. "I promise that I will not leave you unless you tell me to, no matter what happens I will keep you safe."

"I don't know what I'd do without you Myrnin," I say burying myself in his arms. I feel him stiffen and I look up at him in confusion. "Did I say something wrong?"

"No," He says with a strange smile. "You just have no idea how long I've been waiting for you to say that." And with that, he kisses me. It seems to be hours that I stand in his arms as he takes away my pain and worry before he abruptly pulls back, leaving me breathless. He stares down at me, long black hair disheveled, brown eyes intense.

"Do you trust me Claire?"

"What?" I say perplexed. "Of course I do Myrnin." He leans down and kisses my neck and I can feel the sharp pin pricks of his fangs.

"Do you trust me?" He repeats voice low and dangerous. I only hesitate a moment.

"Yes." I whisper. And he kisses me again before his fangs prick my skin. I gasp in pain, but it only lasts a moment before it seems I am immersed in Myrnin's mind.

I am surrounded by a shimmering kaleidoscope of changing colors, still in Myrnin's arms and I gasp in wonder. The lab has completely disappeared leaving us in an almost cave like room. I remember when I briefly entered his wonderful, brilliant mind as he brought me back to life, but that was nothing compared to this. That was like comparing a pretty, sparkly, little rock, to an enormous glittering diamond.

_What is this? _I think in amazement.

_What you already think __fy annwyl, my mind. _Myrnin says without moving his lips.

_You can hear my thoughts?_ I think tentatively.

_Yes._ I hear, well not really hear, it's like I'm thinking in his voice. Weird. His brown eyes sparkle with amusement as my jaw drops.

_But how? This never happened with—with Shane. _ I finish after a slight hesitation. Myrnin stiffens and pulls me tighter to him.

_It is something only very old and experienced vampires can do. _He says tightly with barely contained rage.

_I'm sorry, I shouldn't have mentioned him_. I say hurriedly. I hear a mental sigh.

_It is quite all right Claire. I should not have reacted in that way. _

_Is everyone's mind like this?_

_No. Everyone's is different._

_Can you see mine?_

_Yes, but not that clearly. Yours is full of this pure, dazzling white light. There are a few patches of color as well. _I see him frown and he hesitates, like he doesn't want to tell me something.

_What is it Myrnin? You can tell me. _

_There are several places where the light has gone out entirely, where there is only blackness. _I turn cold, what the hell did that mean? I step away, and wrap my arms around myself, suddenly freezing.

_It is nothing too serious._ He rushes to assure me.

_Yeah, then why didn't you want to tell me? _

_I did not want to upset you. It only means that you have encountered some very dark times in your life._

_That can't be all it means Myrnin. _I insist, beginning to panic.

_It just makes me angry to see that they have sucked some of the happiness out of you. They altered your mind. _

_You're telling me. _I think bitterly.

_Come here my little bird. _He says holding his arms out, and after a second, I do.

_It will all be fine, I promise you. You are not the only one with dark patches in their mind. I have dozens; they are just carefully hidden beneath the bright colors you see. _

All of a sudden, the colors shift and darken, revealing large expanses of darkness with shimmering colors much more sparsely placed. I see now that at least somewhat, his crazy eccentric personality is just a facade to veil all of the turmoil he faces every day. I knew that it was there, to some extent, but I didn't realize it was _this _bad.

_I had no idea. _I think hugging him tight. _I'm so sorry you have to go through that all the time Myrnin. _

_Most don't. _He thinks voice tinged slightly with sadness. _But I do not like to hide things from you Claire._

_I'm glad you didn't Myrnin, thank you for trusting me with it. _He smiles and lightly puts his lips against mine.

Then we are kissing, clinging desperately to each other. Doing our best to help the other forget their problems, if only for a few minutes. Its strange thinking that we aren't _really _kissing, that this is really all in our heads and that in reality, we are in the lab, his mouth on my neck, drinking my blood. I wonder how long we've been here, it feels like hours, but it can't have been more than a few minutes.

Kissing here is the strangest and most amazing thing that I have ever experienced. As we kiss, I can hear his thoughts; feel his emotions, so much better expressed here then out loud with mere words. I can hardly tell where my thoughts end and his begin.

_Claire, my little bird, __fy annwyl don't ever leave me. Promise. _I see myself the way he sees me, a brilliantly glowing flame amongst the darkness that nothing has ever been able to brighten for countless years.

_I love you Myrnin. _I whisper, finally saying the words for the first time. _I promise you, I won't leave. _

Dazzling, impossibly bright colors flood his mind at that word, _love_ and I hear a bright musical sound that I guess is laughter here.

_You have no idea how long I've wished to hear you say that __fy__nghariad. _Well, I can guess what that means and I hug him tighter, kissing him sweetly again on the lips.

_We have to go_. I say gently, a few breathless minutes later.

_No we don't. We could stay here forever._ He says fiercely, his voice filled with hope.

_How long have we really been here Myrnin? Isn't it dangerous for us to be here for so long?_

_It has been no more than five minutes, time passes much slower here. But I suppose that you are right. Unless... _He trails off, knowing I understand what he means.

_No Myrnin, please don't ruin this with that again. That is a conversation for another time. _I hear a mental sigh and he pulls back, gazing at me sadly, but he has a small smile on his face.

_So you are saying that we will discuss it?_

_Maybe. _I relent. _Now lets get back. Please?_

All of a sudden, the bright, sparkling world of Myrnin's mind disappears in a dizzying rush and I am once again standing in Myrnin's arms feeling light headed. I sway a little and he holds me tighter, before gently leading me back to the battered armchair where I collapse.

"Are you my dear?" He asks anxiously. "I did not think I took that much."

"I'll be fine," I say giving a weak wave of my hand. "I just want to rest a bit if that's all right." My eyelids where growing heavy and all I really want to do is sleep.

"Of course," He says before disappearing momentarily and coming back with a worn looking quilt. "Sweet dreams my little Claire." He whispers before placing a light kiss on my cheek as I drift off to sleep.

**_Two Months Later_**

It's been two months since I've last seen Shane. Two months since Michael and Eve were attacked. Two months since Amelie killed Jason. There's this invisible wall of tension surrounding the town and everyone in it, one wrong move and it will all explode.

There are a few good things though. About three weeks ago, Eve and then Michael several days later, opened their eyes and actually began to talk. The first things out of each of their mouths were, "Is Michael okay? Is Eve okay?" Apparently, they were semi-conscious the entire time, only unable to move or speak. I can't even imagine how awful that must have been.

Now they can even walk a bit on their own. Everyone proclaims it's a miracle. And it really is, I don't know what I'd do if I lost another person I loved.

Today I'm going to visit Shane. I know that it sounds completely crazy and suicidal, but I've heard that he's doing really well. I mean, he's chained up with _silver _so how much harm could he cause me?

"Are you quite sure about this Claire?" Myrnin asks, looking at me anxiously. "He's still a dangerous criminal. Perhaps his recovery is false, who knows what he has planned?"

"Myrnin, you heard how heavily he's guarded. He's chained when he's awake and at night, he's in a vampire enforced straight jacket, and even then his ankles are chained. Plus, there's ten guards posted outside and there's like ten cameras in the cell, and if he pulls anything, the collar he wears will inject silver into him at the push of a button."

"Yes but—"Myrnin begins to protest but I put my finger to his lips to silence him.

"No buts, I'm going Myrnin, with or without you. Which will it be?" He sighs gently takes my finger off of his mouth.

"Fine, but I thoroughly disapprove."

"I realize," I say rolling my eyes. "Now let's go."

After passing through a metal detector, we are led down a dimly lit, sterile white hallway filled with barred doors. Myrnin puts a protective arm around me as the doors shake with the frantic escape attempts from the prisoners within, their deranged cries emanate from the cells.

"Who's kept in here?" I whisper in horror.

"This wing here is for the crazies." Our vampire guard says casually.

"Is Shane kept here?"

"No, he's kept with the criminals labeled highly dangerous. We're only cutting through."

"Good. I don't think I could stand being here another minute." I say with a shiver as we pass the last cell with a moaning inmate.

We turn down a hallway that looks eerily like the one in _Silence of the Lambs_. I half expect Hannibal Lector to be waiting with a "Hello Clarice.", at the end. _So _not the picture I want right now. So when I hear a voice call my name, I nearly sprint back down the hall.

"Hello Claire." A quiet voice says from the last cell. This one seems the most secure, with a solid steel, or maybe even silver, door with only a small barred window up top and through it, I can see Shane's very sad looking brown eyes. I freeze in my tracks, all of memories of him, the good and the bad come at me in a raging torrent. _I can't do this_, I think and I start to panic, breathing so fast that I feel like I might pass out.

"Claire," Myrnin says softly as he puts a cool, steadying hand on my shoulder. "Breathe, everything will be all right. I'm not going anywhere." I take a deep shaky breath and manage a small smile.

"I know. Thank you." I say leaning into him.

"Would you like to go in Miss? Or would you prefer to talk to _it_ out here?" The guard asks looking at Shane with obvious contempt.

"Out here is fine thanks."

"All right then, well there are two chairs over there," He says nodding over to two chairs in the far corner at the end of the hall. "Just holler if you need help. We'll know." He says pointing to where I can see the glint of a camera lens.

"Great thanks." I say again and with a nod, he heads off down the hall whistling. That leaves me and Myrnin awkwardly sitting in front of Shane's cell.

"I am so sorry Claire," Shane whispers and I see his eyes well up with tears through the bars. "I don't know what went wrong with me." I want to say that it's all right; I mean that's usually my response after someone apologizes. But I don't think I'll be able to forgive him for a long, long time and we all know it.

"How are you?" I ask after an uncomfortable amount of silence.

"Fine, three square meals a day, comfortable enough chains, I can't complain," He says in a weak attempt to make a joke. "How are you Claire? How are Michael and Eve?"

"Like you even care, you son of a bitch." Myrnin snarls, his eyes flashing a dangerous red. Shane flinches and I see remorse in his eyes.

"Myrnin," I say firmly, placing a hand on his arm to calm him down. "Can you calm down or do you need to go?"

"No," He says and closes his eyes, taking a deep shaky breath and when he opens them again, the red has receded. "I'm fine."

"To answer your question," I say turning back to Shane. "Eve and Michael just got out of a coma. Captain Obvious nearly killed them." Shane's eyes widen.

"Are they going to be okay?"

"They'll recover. Are you getting therapy then?" I say wanting to change the subject.

"Yes, two hours a day, it's really starting to work."

"A psychopath like you needs all the help they can get." Myrnin mutters. Okay, I was completely done with him.

"Myrnin, why don't you go find a guard to talk to or something?" I say jumping up. "I want to talk to Shane. Alone."

"But Claire," He protests. "Who knows what he's capable of! This could all be a trick to get me away!"

"Well, you should have thought of that before you decided not to keep your mouth shut!" I say crossing my arms. "Now go!" I say pointing back down the hall.

"Claire—"He starts again but I cut him off.

"It's okay," I say more gently. "I'll be fine. He's chained up in there, and surrounded by cameras."

"Fine," Myrnin says eyes hard. "I will be back in fifteen minutes." And with that, he stalks off back down the hall.

"I'm sorry about Myrnin," I say once he's out of sight. "This whole thing has really upset him."

"And hasn't it upset you?" Shane asks, sounding curious. "After nearly having killed you twice and ordering over a dozen of others killed, has that not _upset _you?" I was beginning to wish that I hadn't sent Myrnin away already, Shane was acting really—weird was the only way I could describe it. Totally different from a few minutes ago.

"Of course it has," I say cautiously. "I only came because I heard you were getting better and I didn't think you'd want to be alone all the time."

"How very considerate of you Claire," He says, brown eyes suddenly hard. "You never think of yourself do you?"

"I do. But despite everything Shane, I still care about you a little. I still hope that you can get better."

"I'm trying," He says earnestly. "I'm taking pills to help with my anger and other emotional problems. I've actually told my therapist some things about what happened and everything."

"That's good." I say and we drift into an awkward silence again.

"So you're with Myrnin now?" He says after a minute.

"What? Oh, I guess." I say not comfortable with where this conversation was going.

"You moved on that quickly huh?" He says like he's joking but somehow it sounds sinister.

"Moved on—? No Shane, I looked for you for _months_. I put up posters, looked everywhere. I couldn't eat, couldn't sleep. It took me _forever _to forget you Shane!" I say practically shouting. "But I knew you weren't coming back," I say after a minute, calming down. "At least not for a long time."

"So you think that I can be saved Claire?" He whispers. "You still have hope?"

"There's always hope Shane," I say firmly. "Anyone can be saved."

"Are you so sure Claire? That everyone can be saved? Because I'm not."

"What do you mean Shane?" I ask turning cold.

"I'm saying that I'm not sure I can be saved Claire. I'm not sure I _want _to be saved."

Suddenly, the door to the cell flies off of its hinges and slams in the wall, mere inches from my head. I scramble out the chair and start backing down the hallway, eyes wide with horror, heart racing. Because Shane is standing in the doorway. Shane is standing _unchained _in the doorway, grinning wildly as he begins to come towards me.

I scream, hoping to get attention as I race down the hall, knowing that it's impossible to outrun him, but maybe I can lose him in the maze of hallways.

"Now do you think I can be saved Claire?" I hear Shane call, laughing behind me, taking his time. He knows that I'll eventually get tired. He knows that I don't know my way out of this labyrinth.

I turn down a hallway, still screaming for help when I reach a dead end. A blank wall with two doors on either side but after I desperately rattle both doorknobs, I know that there's no way I can get them open. I have no choice but to turn back into the hall where Shane is waiting. But I don't get the chance. Shane appears at the end of the hall, grinning like the maniac he is.

"Please Shane, just let me go. I won't tell anyone you escaped. I promise."

"Claire, Claire, Claire," Shane says shaking his head. "How stupid do you think I am? I know you'll find some way to stop me eventually. No, you'll just be a problem. It's not that personal, but you've just got to go. I promise it won't hurt. Much."

He steps closer and I back against the wall, mind racing, trying to figure a way out. Both of the doors had small windows up top, but even if I managed to break the glass, it was too high for me to reach through and unlock it from the other side and too small to crawl through. I was trapped.

"Help!" I scream again. "Please! Help!"

"Now, now," Shane chides, waving a finger back and forth like he's scolding a small child. "We'll have none of that." He zips forward, vampire quick and reaches out to grab me, I scream again and try to dart away but he grabs me from behind. He wraps one hand tight around my waist with a painful iron grip and puts the other over my mouth. My screams are muffled against his hand, and I try to bite him, kick him _anything_, but he just laughs as he easily avoids my attacks.

"Now do you think I can be saved Claire?" He whispers in my ear, his cold breath making my stomach churn with revulsion. He takes a deep breath, _smelling _me and chuckles. "My, my Claire, you've been letting Mr. Crazy bite you? Now you know that's not safe. You never know when we might _lose control_."

_I'm going to die. _The thought comes suddenly and clearly, and I know that it's true. I know that there is no way out of this. And I am _not _okay with that. After all of the shit I've been through, my crazy ex-boyfriend was going to kill me? Seriously? Well I wasn't going down without a fight. I let my body relax, go limp and it works just like I'd hoped it would. His hold loosens momentarily and that's all that I need to elbow him in the stomach, which admittedly hurts me more than him but he let's go and I dash off down the hall again. But he's on me in a second.

"You little _bitch_," He hisses grabbing me from behind again but this time with a bone crushing grip and I hear a bone snap just as my arm is filled with an excruciating pain and I can help but scream from it. "That's right, no more mercy, I'm going to make this hurt." And with that, he rips into my neck.

I scream again as he pulls me back into the dead end hallway. This was nothing like when he or Myrnin had bit me before, he was doing his best to make it hurt and he was succeeding. It was the worse pain I'd ever felt and I was only making it worse by struggling. But I had to _try_. I continue to kick and scream and it only makes his teeth dig in deeper, he hadn't just used his fangs, he used all of his teeth, ripping out a huge chunk of my neck I was pretty sure and making my death faster. I try to hold back the sobs, knowing it's only increasing his satisfaction but I can't help it, pain shoots through my body as more bones snap and pain shoots through every inch of me.

After a few minutes of useless struggling, I begin to feel weak and I slump in his arms too weak to continue fighting. I start feeling numb pretty soon after that, which was wonderful that and the feeling that I was just floating along. Was this even real? No it couldn't be, this stuff didn't happen in real life, it was only a dream. A terrible, terrible dream and I would wake up nice and warm in my bed.

"Claire!" I hear a distant voice scream in horror. "Oh God no!" I feel myself being dropped unceremoniously onto the hard floor and the pain returns. I groan as it wracks through my body and I desperately try to go back to that pleasant dream state.

"You're too late," Shane says, and I can hear the sneer in his voice. "She's dead old man and there's nothing you can do about it."

"_Get away from her_!" The first voice, Myrnin snarls.

"Gladly, my work here is done. Take me away boys." He says cheerfully and I assume that there are guards.

"I'm sorry," A voice says quietly. "I don't think there's anything that can be done."

"Leave us!" Myrnin roars and I feel myself being gently picked up, but even that makes me whimper in pain. "Claire my little bird, my little light, you promised you wouldn't leave me!" He whispers fiercely and I feel something blessedly cool touch my face, tears. Myrnin was crying over me, how strange. He didn't need to cry, I was going to be in a much better place, or so everyone said. A place full of light and happiness, free of pain. That sounded nice.

"Claire,fy annwyl, fy nghariad, please wake up!" I manage to crack one eye open and then immeaditly shut it against the harsh light. ""Claire, listen to me, you have perhaps five minutes left. There is nothing a doctor can do, you will die. Do you understand me? You will die and you can not die, because you promised you wouldn't leave me!" He says desperately, sounding almost insane. "Will you let me help you Claire? Will you?" I feel his cool lips on the other side of my throat that Shane had not ripped to shreds. "Do you trust me?" He whispers.

Did I trust him? Did I trust Myrnin, my boss, my friend, the man I was in love with? Of course. And I knew what he was offering. I knew what he said was true. I was dying and I wasn't ready for that, I was too young, had too much left to accomplish and see. There's was too many people that would be left behind. So I give him the only answer I can.

"I trust you Myrnin," I manage to croak through my dry lips. "Do it." I hear him sigh in relief and then there is the sharp prick of fangs before once again, I am in his mind.

_Claire!_ Myrnin shouts in delight once again speaking into my mind as he rushes forward and swoops me up, spinning me around and around laughing as I laugh with him. _Thank you._ He whispers after he releases me and holds me tight to him. _I was sure I had lost you for good. I do not think I could have beared it._

_You don't have to worry about that now_. I say putting a gentle hand on his cheek. _I'm not going anywhere, just like I promised._

_I know, and I can hardly believe it. Oh the things we can see and do now!_ He says breaking into a broad grin. _We can leave here together, after we finish the machine of course. You can go to your MIT and we can live free from the clutches of this Godforsaken place._

_But we'll have to come back won't we?_ I ask sadly. _Amelie will never fully let us go._

_Yes, we will have to come back from time to time, but not forever._ After a minute's hesitation I ask what I really need to know.

_How did Shane do it Myrnin? How did he manage to get out_? Myrnin's eyes turn a deep, terrifying shade of red and he holds me tighter.

_He apparently had one of the guards working for him. The guard unchained him and disabled his collar today once he heard we were visiting when he went to give him food. Before that he played yesterday's security footage from in the cell on a loop so no one would notice. Now he'll be kept in a six by three cell with no hopes of getting out for decades to come._ I shiver, remembering the cold calculated look he had worn as he attacked me.

_Why did it take you so long to find me? Did he mess with the outside footage too?_

_He made them seem broken so they only played static after I left. I had gone to the security tape room to keep an eye on you and I wanted to rush right down affter the static started, but they restrained me. They grabbed the guard that was helping Shane and he confessed right away, well after they had broken both of his arms and legs actually. By that time, Shane was after you and I used our blood bond to find you. But this damned place is a maze, we were almost too late._

_Well I'm here now Myrnin._ I say again, hugging him tight.

_Yes, I know._ He whispers, gently brushing my hair from my face. _Now we must get back, there is something you still have to do._

_Wha-oh. I have to drink your blood or I'll die. _I say quietly suddenly terrified. I had almost forgotten all that was happening, that where we were wasn't really real. That my life as I had always known it was ending.

_Yes, I'm afraid you must. _He says, looking sad for some reason. _But I'll be right there with you, everything will be fine. I promise._ I nod shakily and step back from his embrace. He and the world around us fades away bringing me cruelly back to where there is only pain and exaustion. That conversation with Myrnin seems only like a dream now a dream that happened years ago.

"Claire," An insistent voice whispers. I feel something cold pressed to my lips and a strange tasting warm liquid infiltrates my mouth, choking me. "Claire!" The voice sounds worried now, desperate. "Claire you must drink!"

_Drink? _I think distantly. _What good will that do? I'm dying._ But I don't like how desperate the voice sounds, how scared. So I comply, somehow making myself swallow the odd liquid-it's sweet and bitter and I don't like it. I try to spit it out, but the object is pressed tightly against my mouth and I have no choice but to comply or drown in it. I begin to feel cold uncomfortably so and I think the liquid is the cause of it so I try to squirm away but it still won't budge.

"No Claire," The voice whispers gently. "Not yet."

The cold grows, seeping into my bones, freezing my organs, my blood, sending sharp needles of pain deep into me. I should turn numb from it but I don't. I scream but no one hears me. Warmth comes slowly, taking away the cruel biting cold after an immesurable ammount of time. The warmth builds and builds and I scream as it feels like I've been dipped into a volcano full of bubbling lava. Like every ounce of my flesh is melted from the bone and then the bones are incinerated as well, leaving me nothing but ashes. But ashes can't feel this much pain. Then the cold is back this time blessedly cool, soothing my scorched body and it stays, settling over me like a comforting blanket.

My eyes snap open and I can see everything with an almost frightening clarity. The individual grains and scratches in the floor and walls. I can see little particles of dust floating around. The incandescent lights are painfully bright, like staring directly at the sun so I squeeze my eyes shut against it. I can hear the guards laughing in some far away break room and the crazy prisoners moaning and screaming.

"Claire," I hear Myrnin ask cautiously and he lays a tentative hand on my shoulder. "How do you feel?"

"Weird." I say simply my throat scratchy. Myrnin chuckles.

"Yes I suppose that about sums it up. Come, I need to get you out of here and back to the lab."

"Through a portal?" I ask getting up, my eyes still closed against the brightness.

"No," Myrnin says sounding worried about something. "Portals cannot be made here, security reasons. There are tunnels beneath here, one leads directly to the lab. But we must hurry." He says grabbing my hand and pulling me down the hallway.

"Why?" I ask still in a daze.

"It is only a matter of time before you lose control." He says sounding very matter of fact about it.

"What?" I ask stopping in my tracks coming back to reality with a shocking jolt and I open my eyes despite the pain.

"You know what I mean Claire." Myrnin says sounding a little sad.

I did, I did know what he meant. _Oh, God_. I pull my hand away from his and wrap my arms around myself, sinking to the floor. I was a _vampire_. _Oh, God. Oh,God. _I'm pretty sure I'm hyperventilating but all I'm aware of are those same words going over and over in my head.

"Claire," I'm dimly aware of Myrnin saying gently as he sits down beside me and wraps me in his arms.

"Claire, everything will be fine. I promise. But we must leave."

"Okay." I whisper, getting up again. He keeps a comforting arm around my shoulders and we continue down the hall. We come to what looks like a janitors closet and he simply rips off the doorknob when he finds it locked.

He ushers me into a mercifully dark room and down a flight of stairs into a round cement tunnel. I'm surprised when I can see in the pitch blackness as well as I could have an hour ago in a brightly lit room. The tunnel branches off in multiply places and occasionally we turn down one, there are also doors put in seemingly random locations. Within a few minutes, we arrive at a nondescript steel door and Myrnin turns the knob. Surprisingly, we are in the lab, I'd never noticed a door there before.

"Sit here," Myrnin says ushering me to the beat up armchair that still remained haphazardly in the middle of the lab. "I'll be right back." He says before disappearing.

I gaze around the lab, taking in how much different it looks now. Ten times more messy and dirty. Yuck. I really needed to get on top of Myrnin about that.

My throat was really dry and scratchy,like I really needed a drink of water. It was beginning to get very uncomfortable. I clear my throat, but that does nothing. That's when the pain starts.

I had thought it was all over, that I wouldn't hurt again, but I was wrong. This is far, far worse. Every breath I take sends fire into my lungs, my throat burns and the flames race through my veins. I'm sure I'll die of it. Something must have gone wrong. Horribly, horribly wrong. I collapse onto the floor, the world dims.

"Claire!" An anxious voice calls. I feel myself lifted up and something is pressed to my lips. "You must drink! I am sorry it took so long my dear but you will die if you do not drink!"

I force myself to swallow the strange tasting liquid and it immediately extinguishes the flames. I already feel stronger. I sit up on my own and take the cup, greedily drinking its contents down. It is warm and rich, sweet. Once its gone, I toss it away, gasping.

If things were clear at first, its like Hy-def times a million now. And I feel incredibly strong, like I could literally do _anything_. Myrnin chuckles.

"Amazing, isn't it Claire?"

"Yeah," I whisper. "Amazing." All at once, I burst into tears, everything suddenly overwhelming me. Shane, the attack, the fact that I was a _vampire_, the fact that my life was forever changed. Myrnin engulfs me in his arms rocking me back and forth.

"It will all be all right Claire," He whispers. "I promise."


	38. Epilouge

**Here it is, the final chapter! :D Thanks to all who have stuck with this since the beginning! It's super hard to finish this, I hope I got it right! It's not very exciting, just sort of wraps things up. Look for first chapter of later today!  
**

* * *

**_Ten Years Later_**

**_Claire_**

It's been ten years since Myrnin and I have left Morganville and a whole lot has changed. First off, I finally went to MIT after Myrnin and I perfected the machine and we let Frank go—wherever people go when they die. Since then, we've been traveling the world, taking our time. After all, we have forever to see it. It'd been a lot of firsts for both of us. I'd never been out of the country and he'd never been in a plane or a movie theater, and that had been...interesting.

Now Amelie is requesting we come back, our vacation as she calls it is over. I've kept contact with Eve and Micahel-Skyped with them about once a week. Michael went on tour for a year, leaving about two months before I did, people really loved his music, then they returned, wanting life to calm down a bit. Eve opened up her own clothes store the next year.

And you won't believe what else happened. They figured out a way for vampires to have kids. Not themselves, but through a surrogate.

And guess who Michael and Eve's kids were put into? None other than Monica Morrell. I hadn't really seen much of her in the months before I left and now I know why.

Apparently, she had quit collage to run off to live with her boyfriend. Two months later, they married, a few months after that she found out she was pregnant. Well, he freaked and left, claiming it wasn't his and her mom disowned her, leaving her on the streets.

Eve found her, having only gone on three months of the tour, living in an abandoned warehouse, no one one would hire Monica Morell, she hadn't been anything but a bitch to anyone. Her clones Gina and Jennifer ditched her and bailed out of town once Monica was no longer A. Powerful and B. Popular. She was treated like she was diseased. Eve took pity on her, and allowed her to live with them till the baby was born and she got back on her feet.

Then doctors discovered the miracle that vampires could have children through a willing surrogate. Only after they went through an intense background check to make sure they wouldn't you know _eat_ their children. Eve and Michael passed, but no one wanted a monster child growing inside of them. Monica jumped on the opportunity to repay them and two months after having her son, Richard, she became their surrogate.

Once people saw that little Sam wasn't a veracious man eating monster baby, he was completely human, people who really needed money became surrogates too. Amelie and Oliver had twins, Abrielle, like Gabrielle with out a G, and Brendan, a year later. A year after that, Eve and Michael had Ivy. Then came Sophie a year and half after that, Monica's daughter she had with a nice guy from out of town that she's still married too.

Hannah Moses married a guy she knew when she was a soldier and they had a daughter, Alexis, the same year that Ivy was born. There's been another handful of kids with vampire parents as well.

I talked about this all with Eve but never about Shane, only once. He's still rotting away in prison, and for some reason, they started visiting him five years ago, that's all I know. She said that he was really getting better. I told her I'd heard that before and to not bring the topic up again.

Now Myrnin and I are pulling into town, and the memories come rushing in. The good and the bad. Myrnin notices my poorly disguised tension and takes my hand in his own.

"Are you all right fy annwyl?" He asks warm brown eyes filled with concern.

"Yeah," I say taking a deep shaky breath. "I'll be fine. It's just the memories you know?"

"Yes, but everything will be fine."

"I know." I say, though I'm not sure I believe it.

"C.B!" Eve shouts excitedly as she pulls the door open wearing a huge grin.

"Hey, Eve." I say waving awkwardly, not sure what to do. She solves the problem by pulling me into a bone crushing hug.

"Oh my God Claire I can't believe your back!" She squeals.

"I know it's great Eve," I gasp out. "But just because I'm a vampire doesn't mean you aren't breaking my ribs."

"Oh, oops," She says sheepishly, pulling back. "Sorry, it's just so great to see you!"

"Eve, we Skype just about every week."

"I know but its not the same. Well, come on in." She says opening the door wide. They still lived in the Glass house, but the furniture was way different. It was nice and homy still, but with way nicer and more modern furniture, plus there were toys strewn everywhere, and there were cute family photos on the walls.

"Hey Claire." Michael says with a grin, walking into the room carrying a five year old Ivy, who burries her head shyly in her dad's shoulder. Her full name was Ivy Elizabeth Claire, middle name first after Michael's mom and then me, which really touched me when I'd heard. I guess Eve didn't think her mom was worthy of her name being passed on.

There son's full name was Samuel Jason Shane. The first name made sense to me, Sam was Michael's deceased grandfather turned vampire and a great guy. But Jason and Shane? Eve's crazy evil brother and my evil crazy ex? It just didn't make sense to me. But Eve said she wanted there names to be associated with something good. She wanted people to remember that there had been good in them at one point. I still didn't get it, but whatever, it was their kid.

"Hi Michael, it's great to see you." I say giving him a one armed hug due to the child glued to one side of him. That's when Monica walks into the room out of the kitchen trailed by little Richard and carrying four year old Sophie.

It was weird to actually see someone I'd known that had aged. Monica still dressed like a collage student with skinny jeans in a tight top, but I could see a few slight wrinkles in her face and carrying four babies had made her put on a few pounds. And she actually looked _nice_. Gone was the face of a bitchy evil queen, replaced with a sweet smile. Freaking. Weird.

"Hey Monica." I say warily.

"Claire, it's great to have you back!" She says putting the kid down to give me a hug, I stiffen in complete shock before tentatively hugging her back.

We sit down and discuss normal, everyday things. What we've been doing with our lives. Apparently, Monica left town for a few years. But she came back, as most seem to.

I watch the little kids all playing together and I wonder if I'll ever have kids of my own. Maybe. In the very distant future. I just couldn't see myself as a mother or for that matter, Myrnin passing the required background check with his past.

"Hey Claire," Eve says a few hours later. "Do you want to come upstairs with me? I have to put the kids down for their naps."

"Ah-sure." I say surprised. I pick up the droopy eyed Sam and she grabs Ivy. Sophie and Richard are curled up on the floor as well but Monica makes no move to bring them upstairs.

We take Ivy to my old room which has been renovated into a pastel pink princess room, overflowing with stuffed animals and Barbies. Sam's room is Eve's old room, now a navy blue, plastered with posters of superheroes and dinosaurs. That leaves Shane's room. I really hope we're not going there, but I have a sneaking suspicion that's why she brought me up here. Sure enough, she swings the door open.

I freeze, it looks like he could be back at any minute. Nothing has changed, nothing in ten years. The bed is still unmade, clothes are thrown everywhere. His old X-box is hooked up to the T.V.

"It's like he never left." I whisper, staring.

"We visit him you know," Eve says back quietly. "We tell him that as soon as the kids are out of the house, he's welcome back at any time. We want him to feel at home if—_when _he comes back."

"How much longer does he have? A century or two?" I ask coldly.

"Claire—" Eve starts, putting a hand on my shoulder, I shrug it off.

"No Eve, you know it could be a trap. You know how smart he is, you know how long he's had to plan. I can't believe you'd take him back."

"Okay, forget I said anything," Eve says after a minute of strained silence. "Let's just go back down stairs okay?"

"Fine." I say stiffly, swinging the door shut.

We wrap up the visit and Myrnin and I head back to the lab. We really need to get an apartment or something. I could not live here forever.

"Lab sweet lab." I mutter walking through the door. Myrnin laughs and wraps his arms around me from behind, kissing my cheek.

"That went well didn't it?" Myrnin says, flipping on the lights.

"As well as it could have I guess." I sigh, flopping into the stupid arm chair smack in the middle of the lab still and sending up a cloud of dust.

"I suppose you're right," Myrnin muses. "I think things in this town are finally turning around."

"I think so too." I say smiling.

This town had ruined us and many others, claimed us as it's own. But people here where stronger then most, they wouldn't let anything stop them and I think a new better future was just starting to rise from the ashes.

* * *

**Sequel is called _From the Ashes_. It takes twelve years later and is from Eve and Michael's son, Sam, point of view mainly. There are also the other kids at times. Tons of drama and craziness is planned. :)**


End file.
